Distrusted
by amhalgaidh-wolfegurl
Summary: The League continues, brining in a new member to their ranks. Skinner knows her, Jekyll's met her, Sawyer trusts her, and Mina and the Captain don't seem to know yet. But her past seems to haunt her as memories appear in her mind a unexpected times...
1. Chapter One

Distrusted 

Chapter One:

_Kathryn…_

She sat at her desk, serenely writing her manuscript when she heard the noise. Her pen stopped scratching against the paper she had so earnestly saved and she listened intently. Hearing nothing, she returned to her dear project and continued.

_She looked across the castle gardens and saw him enter, returning from—_

She heard it again. That same strange noise. She set her pen down and slowly stood, looking around her room once more. It was a modest room, hardly large enough for her writing desk, the smallest wardrobe ever imagined, a table for her basin, towel and porcelain ewer, and her tiny bed. It was the bed she noticed that was strange. She was alone, and yet, the sheets and bed cover were wrinkled as though someone was sitting there. She licked her dry lips and slowly crossed from her desk to the bed.

"Do you do that unconsciously," a voice—a man's voice asked, "or do you do that to entice me?"

She couldn't see anyone in the room with her, and she was getting nervous. "Who's there?" she softly asked, aiming the question towards the bed.

But the answer came whispered in her ear. "I'm hurt you don't remember me, darling," he said.

"Darling?" she breathed. There were only two men in her acquaintance who were allowed to call her that—her father and her best friend, neither of which she believed alive. "Who are you?" Her fear was rising with each second that passed.

"You truly don't know me," he said, lightly tracing his fingers along her exposed neck. "Do you, Kathryn?"

She felt herself go weak at the knees. Losing her balance, she whispered, "Skinner? Rodney Skinner?"

"The same, love," he answered, catching her around the waist so she wouldn't fall. "I've missed you."

"What are you doing here?" Kathryn asked, feeling his arms snake around her and the fabric of her skirt shift under his hands. He was her best friend whom she believed so readily was dead, and yet, he was there, holding her, and completely invisible. "Why I can't see you?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked, love," he said, chuckling. His arms slipped away from Kathryn's waist, and she felt him step away from her. "You remember a few years ago, a brilliant scientist—albeit slightly misguided—discovered the means to become invisible," he explained, taking her hand in his, and holding it lightly.

"I remember," she replied, feeling gooseflesh rise on her arm for a reason unknown to her. "But he died."

"Yes, he died—at your hand, if I'm not mistaken," he said, his hand lightly travelling up her arm. "But his process didn't. I stole it, and here I stand for the world to see."

"Or not see," Kathryn said bluntly, pulling away from him. She pulled her sleeve down to her elbow from where he had pushed it up to her shoulder. Buttoning her collar back up to cover her throat, she said, "Why are you here?"

She heard him sigh. "Kathryn," he started. "I've been sent as an envoy from Her Majesty's Royal Government."

"Is that so?" she asked, hoping for a light, casual tone. "And what would your purpose be in coming here?"

"The Queen is willing to offer you amnesty for your past crimes, if you are willing to join with me and work for the betterment of British society," he said, acquiring a slightly formal tone.

"Amnesty," she repeated. "How do I know you won't immediately arrest me?"

"How do I know you won't run me through when my back is turned?" he countered.

"You're my best friend, Skinner!" she said, affronted that he would suggest that she would kill him at her first opportune moment.

"And you're mine," he said, gripping her shoulders tightly. "Believe me, Kathryn, if you cooperate with me, and my comrades, you will be pardoned. You could go home."

"Home," she said dryly. "Home is where the heart is for some. For me, home is where I can write in peace… But I have been missing Baker Street. The troubles that seek its consolation is as sweet to me as a rare wine… Can I trust you? You disappeared and left me thinking you were dead!"

"I'm not proud of what I did," he said. "You can only trust me now. I swear I won't leave you like that again." She felt him take her left wrist in hand. He closed her fingers into a fist, then extended her smallest finger. Then she felt him hook his smallest finger with hers. "I swear like when we were children."

Kathryn saw her hand rise a little and she heard a little noise. He had sealed his promise. "And in return, you would like me to swear to cooperate with you?" she asked.

"If you please," he said, hopefully. "Please, Kathryn, we need your help."

She could almost see him give her his face that would make her agree to anything. She sighed, "Oh, all right. I swear it." She brought her hand to her mouth and sealed her promise by kissing the knuckle of her thumb.

"Thank you!" he said, excitedly pulling her into a tight hug.

"Mr. Skinner, please," she said, pushing herself from him, blushing slightly. "For human modesty, if nothing else."

"Sorry."


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two: 

_Sawyer…_

"So this is her?" Sawyer asked Mrs. Harker, watching a young woman board the _Nautilus_ with the aid of Skinner, judging by the floating carpetbag behind her. "This is the girl Skinner was so eager to see?"

"So it would appear," Mrs. Harker replied, pulling her collar tighter. "She doesn't seem as threatening as we were led to believe, though. Shall we go meet her, than?"

"Are you mad?" Dr. Jekyll asked, approaching the two from behind. "Of course she doesn't seem as threatening! That's part of her façade. She's killed more men than Hyde had before he fled England. Why do you believe a lovely English girl was found in a tiny house in the dredges of Ireland? She's one of the most feared murderesses of London. Some even go so far as to say she is worse than Jack the Ripper." Jekyll looked at Sawyer square in the eye. "Keep your wits about you when with her. Good evening." Jekyll smiled at Mrs. Harker, then left to go help the young lady move into her quarters.

Sawyer glanced at Mrs. Harker and said, "He just warned against her!"

"He must feel safe because he has Hyde on his side," she replied. "Well, let's not be rude." Mrs. Harker sighed and followed after Jekyll.

"Here goes nothing," Sawyer muttered, following Mrs. Harker, his grip on his hidden pistol tight. He and Mrs. Harker reached the young woman's quarters as she was unpacking several sinister looking items. They seemed extremely out of place among her other possessions. Sawyer hesitated to introduce himself at the sight.

So Jekyll took the opportunity. "Welcome to the _Nautilus_," he said, holding out his hand for hers. "My name is Dr. Jekyll."

The young lady hesitantly shook Jekyll's hand, looking him up and down. "Thank you, Dr. Jekyll," she said. "My name is Kathryn." She quickly took her hand back from him. "I've read of your work. I must say, it's very impressive. You've created a serum that transforms you into another man. Mr. Hyde, isn't it?"

"Um, yes," Jekyll answered, somewhat embarrassed. "Thank you."

Mrs. Harker stepped forward, holding out her hand. Shaking Kathryn's, she said, "Mina Harker. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Kathryn nodded. "Surely not the same Mina Harker married to Jonathan Harker?" she asked. Mrs. Harker nodded solemnly. "I've read of your work with Professor Van Helsing as well. Very brave to take on Dracula." Then Kathryn turned to Sawyer. "And you are?"

Sawyer snapped out of his trance. "Special Agent Sawyer of the American Secret Service," he said, offering his hand. She shook his hand with a surprisingly strong grip. She didn't say anything about his past, so Sawyer asked, "Do you have a last name we could use, or do you just want us to call you Kathryn?"

"I've had too many surnames to choose one," she said far too casually. "Call me Kathryn or Kate."

"Ahem," Sawyer heard from somewhere. "Can I speak with Kathryn alone, please?" Since they all knew the formless voice well, Sawyer, Jekyll and Mrs. Harker nodded and left the room, with the door closing behind them.

Sawyer turned to Jekyll and Mrs. Harker. "How well do you think he knows her?" he asked as they all walked toward their own quarters.

"Judging by how excited he was when he heard she was going to granted clemency," Jekyll began, "I'd say the two go years back in their acquaintance."

Mrs. Harker looked somewhat thoughtful. "Of course, his usual ne'er-do-well manner was darkened when he first heard we were going to recruit her in the first place," she said. "You remember, he wouldn't speak, he would always wear the jacket so we would know where he was, and if he did speak, it was usually to warn us against her."

"But," Sawyer said. "But if they are such good friends, why would he do that? Why would he try to dissuade us from recruiting her? It doesn't make sense."

Jekyll stopped. "Unless…" he started, but trailed off. "No, of course not. Silly to think of it," he said, resuming his walk to his quarters.

"What is it?" Mrs. Harker asked, gently placing a hand on Jekyll's arm. "What were you thinking?"

"I just thought that perhaps Skinner doesn't fully trust her," Jekyll explained softly. "That perhaps, since it had been so long since they last saw each other, that perhaps he doesn't trust her because of what she's done to need clemency from the British Crown."

"You just don't trust her," Sawyer said. "She seems perfectly nice to me."

Jekyll made a face. "Oh, yes, a real sweetheart," he said, slightly sarcastically. Since they first joined as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Jekyll had been the quiet, somewhat shy member. But, since defeating the Fantom, or Professor Moriarty, as some would call him, Jekyll had slowly come out of his shell. Others in the League thought that Skinner might have been rubbing off on him. "You didn't notice all the poisons she unpacked. Or the peculiar weapons on her vanity? She is a talented murderess. Every man she killed appeared to have died from natural causes. She could never be condemned for her crimes. But, the last murder she committed in London was discovered by the one particular Sherlock Holmes, her former neighbour, and she fled the country, fearing justice from Scotland Yard. I wouldn't trust her even if my life depended on her." Jekyll nodded to Mrs. Harker and Sawyer, then left for his quarters rather hurriedly.

Sawyer watched him leave. "Did it seem strange to you that the only person Kate hesitated to touch was Jekyll?" he asked Mrs. Harker.

"What do you mean?" she asked as they continued down the corridor.

"She hesitated to take his hand," Sawyer said. "And she was giving him an up and down examination. Do you think she's afraid of him?"

Mrs. Harker didn't seem troubled. "Perhaps," she answered. "But you heard her. She's read of his scientific accomplishments. She knew about Hyde. Perhaps it's Hyde she fears."

"Maybe," Sawyer said. "I still think it's weird."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three: 

_Jekyll…_

_How dare she be so cordial with me?_ Dr. Jekyll thought angrily, as he readied for bed that night. _How dare she bring up Hyde? Is it not enough what she did to me years ago, that she must add insult to injury now, in front of the only friends I've ever gained? What can she accomplish by doing that?_

Jekyll was, at one point, too fond of Kathryn Bennet. He had met her in London years prior, before either of them had fled in search of a haven. When they first met, he didn't know she was capable of doing anything she had done. He didn't think her any more than what met the eye. She, for all outward appearances, was the sweetest girl anyone would want to know. She was lovely, she was kind. She was practically perfect in the eyes of most of London's men…

_Dr. Jekyll had been wandering London's streets one spring afternoon of 1891, in search of something to occupy his time. He had completed his latest experiment and was waiting for nightfall to test it one last time. So, he went to wander London. As he passed a house on Baker Street, he saw her. She was sitting on the front step, crying into her white-gloved hands._

_As Jekyll approached her, he studied her. She would be nearly as tall as he, if she stood side-by-side to him. If her hair was unpinned, it would cascade about her shoulders in light brown curls. Though she was fairly tall, she was dainty; she looked like she was in need of someone to protect her. But she was well gloved and dressed in the most perfect taste. There was, however, a plainness and simplicity about her appearance which bore a suggestion of limited means. Her dress was a sombre greyish beige, untrimmed and unbraided. She wore no head covering, which seemed slightly odd, considering the fashion of women of the age. Then Jekyll saw her small, unaccented hat, of the same greyish beige as her dress, laying on the step beside her._

"_Are you all right, Miss?" Jekyll asked when he drew level with her._

_She looked up from her hands. Her face was streaked with tears, but she was the picture of modest beauty. "Sir, I know not who you are, but if you're willing to listen, I will tell you," she replied softly._

_Jekyll sat beside her on the step. "I am Dr. Jekyll," he said. "Tell me your troubles, if you wish it."_

_She dabbed at her eyes with a white embroidered handkerchief. "My name is Kathryn Bennet," she said. "And I live in this house behind us. Yet, I cannot seem to enter it. The memories that remain in those walls haunt me each time I pass through them. I cannot know why, for certain, though. Perhaps it is because I am so accustomed to listening to my neighbour play violin every evening. And now I do not hear it, I cannot bear to remain within my own walls."_

"_Your neighbour?" Jekyll asked. He looked at the number on the house next-door. 221B Baker Street. "Surely not the famous Mr. Sherlock Holmes?"_

"_The same," she said, fresh tears coming to her eyes. "And he is dead. Fallen to his death off Reichenbach Falls with Professor Moriarty."_

_There was something in her manner that suggested to Jekyll that she might have possibly loved the renowned detective. "Were you close to him, Miss Bennet?" he asked._

_She almost laughed. "I was as close as he would let any woman be to him," she replied somewhat dryly. "He kept his distance from me, as he kept his distance from most… But he helped me when I was in great need of his aid. And now that he is dead, I fear that many people who will need him will suffer for want of his help. And the silence issuing through the wall between our homes is almost unbearable. The violin is never heard coming from his home and I miss its mournful melodies."_

"_Is there anyway I can help you?" he asked her._

"_No," she said, standing. "There is nothing anyone can do. For no one can bring back the dead." She quickly turned and entered her house, leaving Jekyll on her front steps, thoroughly confused._

Looking back on his first meeting with her, Jekyll saw how foolish he had been. He had let her trick him. He had let her into his concern. Let her into his heart. Soon, however, Jekyll learned what lay in her blackened heart…

_Jekyll's interest in Miss Bennet grew with each of his visits. She seemed so depressed with the sudden death of Mr. Holmes, that Jekyll felt he should always be available to comfort her._

_But, as his visits frequented his time, he noticed certain aspects of her personality that were certainly odd. She would study him intensely when they talked over tea. She would never take her eyes off him when they would walk through London. It was almost as though she was the scientist and he was the subject she was researching._

_Soon, she began appearing on his front step unexpectedly, expecting him to let her inside his home. When he did let her in, she would examine everything within his home with extensive care and attention. It made Jekyll feel slightly uncomfortable to know that she was documenting everything about his life. He didn't know why she was doing that, and he never exactly wanted to know. But he knew that if she was going to use the information she gathered while observing what she did, he knew it would be dreadful for him._

_But, he trusted her. He trusted her to keep what she knew to herself. His trust was shattered when he one day went to his laboratory and found a small vial of his formula was missing. He didn't know who had taken it, and if it was Miss Bennet, he didn't know how she could have gotten it._

_Three days after he found the vial missing, Miss Bennet attempted to blackmail him. She claimed she would use the formula to expose him as the monstrous Mr. Hyde. He couldn't remember exactly what she wanted from him, but if he didn't do as she demanded, she was going to go to Scotland Yard with the formula._

_He hadn't seen her since._

Until he was told by Captain Nemo that they were recruiting her to the League. When he heard that, he was furious. But he kept his anger to himself. His trouble with Miss Kathryn Bennet was between himself and her. He vowed to himself that he would resolve the issue without others interference. And he would resolve it soon.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four: 

_Skinner…_

He watched in silence as Kathryn met with Sawyer, Jekyll and Mina. He wasn't quite sure how she took to his comrades. And as far as he knew, she hadn't met them before, nor had she met Captain Nemo, the captain of the _Nautilus_. Since Skinner had last seen her, Kathryn had lost what little ability to show emotion she had. She was stone-faced and stoic. And he wanted to know why. So, he politely excused the other three from the room.

"Skinner…" she said, arranging a number of bottles on her dresser. They were crystal bottles, filled with various liquids, in many different colours. Skinner could only assume they were poisons of different sorts. "Skinner, I'm curious…"

"What?" he asked, skirting around her to examine the bottles. He would consider them beautiful, if he were only under the impression that they were different chemicals or perfumes. But there were so many, and all different, too, that's was made him nervous.

Kathryn carried a few sinister-looking items to her vanity and arranged them, along with the ones already there, into an organised pattern that only she could decipher. "Why is it you recruited me to the League?" she asked, unpacking one of the few dresses she owned and tucked them into the wardrobe. "Why is it you need me?"

Skinner thought quickly. Truth to tell, he had no idea why they needed her. "Your particular talents would prove useful in our future exploits," he said, using some excuse that he hoped would convince her for the time being. "I mean, what team of extraordinary individuals wouldn't want such a talented murderess among them? Your techniques and skills are legendary throughout England. There are so many that fear even the sound of your name. That's why we recruited you."

"Is that a fact?" she said, tucking some clothing into the drawers of the dresser. "I'm not as talented as everyone seems to think." She hid two pairs of her ankle-high button shoes just under her bed, and a third pair of more provocative boots inside the wardrobe behind the fabric of her dresses. "Half the time, and I'm honest when I say this, half the time, it's pure luck. Half the time, they end up killing themselves on accident, and so I haven't killed as many as are reported in my records in Scotland Yard."

Skinner crossed the room to Kathryn's side and brushed her stray hair from her face. "Look, love," he said softly. "I don't judge you for your past. Lord knows my past is far from laudable as well." She scoffed softly. "You don't remember how I introduced myself to you the first time we met?" he asked, seeing the sparkle of recollection in her eyes. "Let me remind you… 'Hello, Miss. Name's Rodney Skinner, Gentleman Thief.' I'm still a Gentleman Thief, I'm just invisible now." He wrapped his arms gently around Kathryn's waist.

She tried to push away from him. "Skinner, please," she said softly. "It isn't proper."

"Now, when have you ever worried about what's proper and what ain't?" he asked as he pulled her closer. "What I grew to love most about you is your indifference to propriety. And your resistance to conformity." He honestly did love her; he just hadn't had a chance to tell her.

"Skinner," she whispered. "Please… I don't want you to get hurt."

This surprised him. "Kathryn," he murmured, running his finger lightly along her cheek. "You won't hurt me. You can't hurt me…" Then he pulled her closer and tenderly kissed her. He could feel her return his kiss with more fervour than he expected. He pulled her closer and kissed her again, and felt her arms slip around him. The cool touch of her skin against his bare shoulders sent chills down his spine.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five: 

_Kathryn…_

_It was the beginning of the new year of 1891 when she received the anonymous letter, instructing her that if she needed the chemicals for her research, she would need to first dispose of Professor Moriarty. Staring at the letter in disbelief, she quickly thought of whom she knew that would have any inclination of where Professor Moriarty was located and how in the world they would suggest to dispose of him._

_Then, coming to an idea, she brought a sheet of paper to her and quickly made out a telegram to her sister, begging for her help. For the past three years, Kathryn had positioned herself as Mary Morstan and wife of Dr. John H. Watson, the close and intimate friend of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Occasionally, Kathryn would have need to call on her sister, Elizabeth, who was an exact copy of herself to take her place and act in her place as Mary Watson. Now was one of those instances. Therefore, she wrote to Elizabeth and nearly begged her sister to come to London from Midhurst to pose as her so she could spend her time following Mr. Holmes and watching him as his neighbour, Kathryn Bennet, which she still was._

_Two days later, Kathryn received a reply from her sister: "You have my help. —E.B." Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly devised how she could meet her sister without Dr. Watson's knowledge. But her sister came without waiting for any instructions. For the next day, she received a wire from her sister: "At Victoria. Come quickly. —E.B." Making some excuse along the lines of making a visit to a dear friend to her husband, Kathryn left her husband's home and took a hansom to the Train Station at Victoria to meet her sister._

_Elizabeth entered the hansom without waiting for an invitation to do so. She sat beside Kathryn and asked, "What is this all about?"_

_After giving the instruction to the driver, Kathryn simply said, "I need you to take my place for a while. I don't know how long this will take me, which is the only problem."_

_The two sisters discussed the situation as the hansom rattled through London's streets. Kathryn explained certain habitual things that happened in her husband's household, and some of her personal habits that needed to be performed otherwise Dr. Watson would think something was amiss. If Elizabeth followed everything Kathryn told her to the letter, nothing could go wrong. After a short time, the hansom came to a stop and the driver opened the trap door and said, "219 Baker Street, ma'am."_

"_Thank you," Kathryn said, handing some money up to him as Elizabeth climbed out. Following her sister, Kathryn took a key from her pocket and unlocked the door to the house next-door to Sherlock Holmes, who was not at home at the present time. As far as Kathryn knew, he was on a short leave for a bit of rest and relaxation. She ushered Elizabeth into the empty house and into the bedroom. "Quickly, we haven't much time," she said, taking off her dress and handing it to her sister. Elizabeth did the same, then put on Kathryn's dress as Kathryn put on one from the wardrobe in the bedroom._

"_How do you wear this dress?" Elizabeth asked, trying to do up the buttons in the back. "It seems more restricting that you would let it."_

_Kathryn sighed. "Come here," she said. She did up the buttons properly and sat her sister in the chair in front of the vanity. "You haven't cut your hair, have you?" she inquired, taking the pins out of Elizabeth's hair._

"_No."_

"_Good," Kathryn said, combing out Elizabeth's hair and pinning it back up into the exact style hers was in at the moment. Then she bent and rested her chin on Elizabeth's shoulder. The sisters looked into the mirror and saw two identical faces peering back at them. "This is almost unnerving…" The clock in the hall struck the hour. "You must hurry," Kathryn said. "Here's my coat and gloves and hat. Dr. Watson will be expecting you soon for tea. Good luck, and remember everything I told you." Kathryn escorted her sister to the front door._

_Before Elizabeth left, she turned to Kathryn and hugged her. "Do be careful, Kate," she said. "Don't get yourself killed. I enjoy being you for a little while, but I don't think I could do it for the rest of my life."_

"_You could if you fall in love with Dr. Watson," Kathryn said absently. "Now, go." She closed the door behind Elizabeth and sighed. Passing through the sitting room, she nonchalantly looked out the window. What she saw made her stop short in her steps. Mr. Sherlock Holmes had just passed by Elizabeth and stopped her for a moment to say hello. Then he turned to continue down the walk. Kathryn hadn't expected him to return home until the next day, and she silently prayed that he wouldn't stop by her home to see how she was. To her dismay, he turned up her walk instead of continuing to his own home. Kathryn quickly ran to her bedroom, unpinned her hair, brushed it out, pinned it up in a different fashion, and applied a little colouring to it, altering it from the blonde to a light brown. She had just added the colouring when she heard Mr. Holmes ring the bell. Quickly putting on a particular necklace, she became Kathryn once again, rather than Mary Watson._

"_Mr. Holmes," she said, upon opening the front door for him. "What a pleasant surprise! I did not expect your home until tomorrow."_

_He examined her. "I suppose I decided to cut my trip short, Miss Bennet," he said. "May I come in?"_

"_Yes, of course," she said, standing aside for him to enter. Closing the door, she carefully watched him. "Was there something you needed?" she asked, following him into her sitting room._

_He turned to her. "Have I ever mentioned how remarkably you look like Mrs. Watson?" he asked her._

"_No, I don't think so," she said. "Please, sit."_

_Mr. Holmes sat in one of the chairs beside the silent fireplace. Kathryn took the other. "How have you been, Miss Bennet?" he asked her, watching her carefully._

"_The same as when you last asked me, Mr. Holmes," she replied, hoping for a casual manner. "It's been rather quiet as of late on Baker Street during your absence. I trust you enjoyed your trip?"_

"_Yes, it was very pleasant," he said, still watching her carefully._

_Kathryn was beginning to get a little uncomfortable. "Where did you go?" she asked._

"_Midhurst, West Sussex," he said, chilling Kathryn. "While I was there, I saw a young lady, not many years older than yourself, who looks almost exactly like you. Do you possibly know who she might be?"_

_Thinking quickly, Kathryn said, "Could you describe her? I have some family who in Midhurst. She could be a cousin or one of my sisters."_

_Mr. Holmes leaned back in his chair, and placed his fingertips together under his chin. "She stood about your height," he said thoughtfully. "Her hair was long, usually unpinned, and brown. But the shape of her face and person was exactly your shape, if you don't mind me saying so."_

"_By all means," she said. "Use whatever you wish to describe her. She sounds like she could be my sister, Mary."_

"_Mary," Mr. Holmes repeated. "Speaking thus, I passed Mrs. Watson on my way to your home. She appeared to have stopped by for a visit."_

_Kathryn's voice caught in her throat for a brief moment. "Uh, yes, she did," she said. "She and I have become dear friends, and I enjoy her visits every so often."_

_He nodded. "Have you met her husband, Dr. Watson?" he asked. "He used to room with me next-door."_

"_No, I don't believe I have had the pleasure," she said, hoping that with that, Mr. Holmes would leave her in peace. The clock in the hall chimed the half-hour._

"_Is that the time?" Mr. Holmes asked, standing. "I'm afraid I must go. Thank you for your time, Miss Bennet. I will see myself out." He nodded a bow to her, then left the room. Presently, Kathryn heard the front door open and close. She crossed to the window and watched as Mr. Holmes walked to his own home next door._

Kathryn sat bolt up in bed. She had just dreamed about one of her last few encounters with Sherlock Holmes. The time was extremely nerve-wracking for her. Mr. Holmes was a master of observation and deduction, and she was almost certain he knew she wasn't who she said she was half the time. She rubbed her face and slid out of bed. Walking to the vanity, she sat and examined her features in the flickering candlelight. She had taken to not dying her hair blonde and left it light brown, and her eyes had begun to collect dark circles under them. She was getting tired. Very tired.

She picked up one of her instruments of peculiar murder and examined it. It was one of the more worn ones. It looked like a normal bread knife, but opening the handle, one would find a vial that would insert poison into the bread it sliced, making it an innocent little method of murder. She had used it frequently, inserting small amounts of poison into her victims' bloodstream through their food, a little at a time. Over time, usually ten insertions, the poison would be enough and the victim would die in their sleep, as a result of their heart suddenly stopping. Kathryn opened the wooden handle, and disengaged the small vial that held the poison until she pressed the small, almost invisible, button to release it. Turning the vial in her hands, she pondered it. Shaking it near her ear, she could hear fluid rushing about in it. "Oh, gods…" she whispered. Dropping the bread knife to the floor, she ran out of her quarters with the vial in hand.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six: 

_Nemo…_

Captain Nemo, whose name in Indian meant 'nothing,' was accustomed to waking before the sunrise. It helped him keep his mind in a state of mental balance. This particular morning, the morning after he and the rest of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen recruited the latest member of the League, he was in the conference room, contemplating their newly appointed mission.

He looked up, however, when the doors opened suddenly, and a lovely young lady with long, curly brown hair ran into the room. She nearly ran into the table Nemo was sitting at. "Captain," she said, slightly out of breath. "My name is Kathryn. We haven't yet met officially, but Rodney Skinner recruited me to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

"Yes, I know," Nemo said, getting to his feet. "What is wrong?"

"You need to take me back to Ireland," she said, pulling her dressing gown tighter around her nightdress. "There is unfinished business I need to attend to."

The Captain was not impressed. "I am sorry, but we are too far gone from Ireland to take you back," he said serenely.

"Captain, I need to go back," she said earnestly. "This is a matter of great importance."

"Why do you need to return?" he asked.

She hesitated. "I don't feel comfortable telling you that," she said quietly, but keeping eye contact with him.

"Are you going to kill someone?"

Miss Bennet dropped a vial onto the table. It rolled to Nemo. He picked it up and examined it. "This is the last dosage of a poison that needs to be ingested by a particular person in Ireland," she explained. "If this man does not die, there are several women who will pay the suffering for it. You took me the day before I was going to give him this. Today."

"What is this?" he asked, rolling the vial back to her.

"Distilled wine with an infusion of _Colchicum autumnale_," she replied, picking up the vial. "In tiny doses, it does no damage whatsoever. But, in small doses, over a course of time, there will be enough to stop someone's heart while they sleep."

Nemo looked sternly into Miss Bennet's eyes. "Do I need to be cautious about the food I eat?" he asked her. "I'll not have poisoning on my ship."

"Captain Nemo," she said, slipping the vial into her dressing gown pocket. "I'm insulted that you would accuse me of poisoning my comrades. Now, take me back to Ireland, or none of you will be my comrades."

"Is that a threat?" Nemo and Miss Bennet turned to the door. Jekyll was standing in the doorframe, dressed and prepared for the oncoming day. "Miss Kathryn, you shouldn't threaten people. Especially the ones on this ship."

"Dr. Jekyll," she said. "If I were giving advice, I wouldn't give that piece. I'd probably keep it to myself, and use it for my own benefit." She crossed to him. "Now, I will give you some advice. Don't cross me. I would hate to discover my hand slipped over your supper wine, or your morning tea. Good day." She walked past Jekyll, then turned back to Nemo. "My offer still stands, Captain. Do as you like with it." Then she was gone.

"Captain," Jekyll said, entering the room more fully. "She is not to be trusted. If you only knew of her treachery, you wouldn't allow her to keep some of her possessions with her."

"Dr. Jekyll," Nemo said in response. "I do not think we will need to worry about her. We will take her to Ireland for only the amount of time she needs to complete her business. That is all." Then, Nemo left for the helm to give instructions to turn around, leaving Jekyll irked in the conference room.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: 

_Jekyll…_

_I must find her,_ he thought, quickly walking through the corridors. _I must know what she's up to._ Jekyll searched the corridors for Kathryn, but couldn't find her. Assuming she would be in her quarters, he went there, and knocked on the door. The door opened, but no one was there. "Hello?" he called into the dark room.

"What do you want, Jekyll?" It was Skinner.

Jekyll was halfway surprised. Of course Skinner would be there. "I'm looking for Kathryn," he said bluntly.

"She's not here."

"Do you know where she is?" Jekyll pressed. "I need to speak with her."

He heard Skinner sigh. "No, I don't," he answered. "She was gone when I woke up." The door closed in Jekyll's face.

"Interesting," he muttered. "Very interesting…"

"What's interesting, Doctor?" Jekyll turned and saw Mrs. Harker walking towards him. Her high collar covered her throat where her only evidence of Vampirism was visible unless she chose to use her ability was located. She was a very proper lady, wearing everything that was appropriate for her age and marital station. "Was that Mr. Skinner in Miss Kathryn's room?"

Jekyll cleared his throat. "Yes, it was," he said. "I'm looking for her. Do you know where she is?"

"I believe she is with Sawyer," she answered, glancing over her shoulder. "I passed them talking on my way to breakfast. Will you join me?"

"Thank you, but no," he said. "I'm in great haste. There is a matter that I need to discuss with Kathryn. Perhaps later?"

"Perhaps," Mrs. Harker said, continuing to the dining room.

Jekyll continued down the corridor. Presently, he heard Sawyer's voice float through the air. "Kate, listen to me, I don't want to know your reasons, I just want to—"

"Sawyer, my reasons are you for your own protection!" she said, cutting him off. "If you don't keep your distance, I can't guarantee your safety." Jekyll turned a corner and saw Sawyer and Kathryn standing a few feet apart, both looking a bit upset. Kathryn was still in her nightdress and dressing gown. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Kathryn, I believe that's the first time I've ever heard you say that," Jekyll commented, drawing their attention. "Now that I've heard the near impossible, may I speak with you?"

She gave him a suspicious look. "All right," she said after a moment of silence. "Sawyer, I stand by what I said." She walked over to Jekyll. "Yes? What do you want?"

"Walk with me, Kathryn," he replied, walking away toward his quarters.

Kathryn walked next to him, easily matching his long stride. "I'm walking," she said. "What do you want?"

"Shh." Jekyll took her to his quarters and sat her in a chair before closing the door. "Kathryn, I need to speak to you about a matter that kept me up all night," he said, facing her.

"Oh, is that why you have dark circles under your eyes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I would've given it another reason."

He chose to ignore the comment. "There's no denying that we have met before," he said, receiving an irritated look from her. "And there's no denying you blackmailed me. But, I can't for the life of me, remember why you blackmailed me."

"I needed supplies," she said. "I needed chemicals, and powders; the basic elements to create certain poisons. My former employer was out of commission at the time and couldn't supply me with what I needed. I saw you coming down the street, knew exactly who you were, and acted."

"There's no possible chance you could have made that decision in that split second," he said, almost cross. "How did you know I would even stop?"

"I didn't," she replied, standing and examining his quarters with interest. "But I took that chance, and I won… Why do you ask?"

He watched her with apprehension. "I had often thought about it over the course of the years," he answered. "I wish you wouldn't do that."

She looked over at him, surprised. "Do what?" she asked.

"That," he said. "Examine everything. You make me feel like a test subject."

"Maybe you are," she said. "Maybe I'm just testing you." She leaned against his dresser. "Or maybe I still have your vial."

Her comment startled Jekyll. "Do you?" he asked, slightly alarmed.

She shrugged. "Maybe," she said, casually. "I don't know. I'll have to look. I've many vials of liquids that I don't know the contents of."

"Then how do you know what you're using against your victims?" he asked.

"A lot of guesswork," she said. "And a lot of using the same poisons." She sighed. "Is there anything else you needed to talk about?"

"Yes, actually," he said. "I need to know if I can trust you."

"I'm more than willing to cooperate with you," she said. "As long as you're willing to cooperate with me, and not accuse me of certain things. You need to remember only you and I know that we've met before. You let slip that you had never heard me say something in front of Sawyer. He's a clever young man. He may figure out our little secret."

Jekyll thought a moment. "Is there any way that I can be guaranteed that you will keep your promise?" he asked.

She arched an eyebrow. "You honestly don't trust me, do you?"

"The last time I trusted you," he said, "you betrayed me. My trust will be hard for you to come by."

"I felt the ship turn around about ten minutes ago," she said thoughtfully. "Come with me while I take care of some unfinished business in Ireland, and see for yourself. What I'll be doing is a favour to several women I know there. Then you can see if you can trust me to keep my word to you." She walked over to the door. "For now, you need to relax, eat some break fast, and perhaps do a little research to keep your mind off it. Good day." She left his room, closing the door behind her.

Jekyll sighed and sat at his desk. "She confuses me greatly," he muttered.


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight:

_Skinner…_

As Skinner waited in Kathryn's room, waiting for her to return, he pondered a few items of concern he had. For instance, why had Jekyll come by looking for her? Where was she when he woke up? And why did she seem to be hiding something from him?

The door opened and his attention was drawn from his thoughts. Kathryn entered and walked over to her wardrobe as Skinner quickly placed himself out of her way. She opened it and pulled out a dress. She paused briefly, considering her choice. Apparently finding it inappropriate, she returned it to the wardrobe and crossed to the dresser. She bent and opened the bottommost drawer. Skinner silently watched as she rummaged through it. She found another dress and pulled it out. It looked to Skinner to be a maid's working dress. Nodding her approval, she laid it out on her bed, then returned to the wardrobe. She pulled out an indigo coloured dress, almost smiled, and went behind the dressing screen.

Why she thought she needed a dressing screen in her own private quarters was beyond Skinner. But then again, she did a lot of things that he didn't understand. He momentarily contemplated joining her on the far side of the screen, but settled for watching her shadow instead. She was a graceful and beautiful girl. Slim, petite, yet tall. He loved her.

"I thank you for your distance, Skinner," she said, coming out from behind the screen and buttoning the back of her dress. Even with her hair pinned up as it was when she went to bed, and slightly messy from sleeping, she looked stunning. The indigo of the dress contrasted perfectly with the olive tone of her skin. "I had rather thought the temptation would get the better of you." She sat at her vanity and opened the drawer, pulling out her hairbrush. She unpinned her hair and began brushing it out.

"I have some self-restraint," he said, watching her.

Kathryn quickly pinned up her hair again, keeping it from her face, in the same sort of manner Mina would. She stood and walked to the dresser and took a necklace from the top drawer. Putting it on, she said, "Well, I'm proud of you. Did you need something?" She sat on the edge of her bed and put on a pair of boots.

He sighed. "I've got a lot of questions," he admitted. "But, I don't think I can ask them. Not yet, anyways."

She stood and walked to the door. "Perhaps another time, then," she said, leaving.

Skinner watched the door close behind her. Then he growl in slight frustration and hit her wardrobe, jarring it enough to open the door. An item fell out and clattered to the floor, drawing his attention. He picked it up and examined it. It was a silver box, almost like a despatch-box. Skinner wondered why she felt she needed to keep a despatch-box in her wardrobe. Jekyll kept his beside his bed on the bedside table. Why would she need to hide it? What could she keep in it that she feared exposure to the rest of the League? His fingers itched to open it, but he knew he shouldn't.

Footsteps outside the door caught his attention. Skinner took the despatch-box with him into the wardrobe and closed the door, leaving it open only a crack so he could see out. Seeing it was Kathryn who had entered and that she was walking to the wardrobe, he returned the despatch-box to the shelf where it was before it fell out of the wardrobe, and pressed himself into the darkest corner of the wardrobe and arranged the dresses around him so she wouldn't see his shape against the fabric.

Kathryn absently opened the wardrobe and took out the despatch-box. She left the wardrobe door open and crossed to her desk with the box. She set it on her desktop and took off her necklace. Skinner cautiously exited the wardrobe and walked over to her as she opened the pendant of her necklace. The pendant was, in fact, not simply a pendant, but a small case in which a small, silver key was kept. Kathryn took the key out of the pendant and used it to unlock the despatch-box.

What was inside, however, Skinner never got to see, for at the instant in which she opened the despatch-box, there was a knock on the door. She slammed the despatch-box shut. "Yes?" she called. "What is it?"

The door opened and Sawyer entered. He closed the door behind him. "Kate," he said. She locked the despatch-box and stood, taking the box to the wardrobe. "Kate, listen to me."

"What is there to listen to, Sawyer?" she said, putting the despatch-box in the wardrobe. "You've presented your case most adequately and delightfully. But I'm afraid I have to decline your most generous offer." She closed the wardrobe door. "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have to plan my evening out."

Sawyer nodded and left the room, Skinner following close behind him.


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: 

_Kathryn… _

_Kathryn looked up and saw Mr. Holmes standing in the doorway of her study, watching her work. "Mr. Holmes," she said, almost dropping the beaker of Hydrogen Peroxide she was working with. "I was not expecting you to be here. At all."_

_He smiled. Almost. "I know," he said. "I needed to talk to you."_

_She set down the beaker and wiped her hands on her stained chemistry apron. "Really," she said. "May I ask why?"_

_He sighed and entered the room, closing the door behind him. "It is no mystery to me what you have been doing with the supplies I gave you," he said. She waited. "Soon, your name will be across the front page of_ The London Times _along with the story of your crimes. Therefore, you are left with three options: stay here and allow yourself to be caught, turn yourself over to Scotland Yard in repentance, or marry someone and allow him to complete responsibility for you and keep you in his protection."_

_She returned to work. "Or," she said, "I could kill myself and be done with it all." She raised the beaker of Hydrogen Peroxide to her mouth, threatening Mr. Holmes that she would drink it._

"_No," he said, quickly taking the beaker from her, accidentally spilling some._

_Kathryn yanked her hand away. "Ouch!" she said, wiping her hand with a wet towel._

"_You shouldn't work with chemicals if you have an uncovered open wounds," he said, setting the beaker down. "You're fortunate that this only cleans wounds, instead of worsening them. Here." He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and gently wrapped it around Kathryn's hand, covering the cut._

"_Thank you," she said softly. "What were you saying?"_

"_You need to find protection," he said, helping her with the chemicals. "Whether leaving the country or marrying a man who can protect you—"_

"_Who would you suggest?" she said, interrupting him and placing her protective glasses on her forehead and wiping her hair out of her face. "I've been married before, and I've found my past exploits with men to prove useless and irritating."_

"_Perhaps if you found someone who corresponded with your personality—" he said. "He could know your secret, your particular weaknesses—"_

"_My weaknesses?" she repeated. "I don't have weaknesses." He gave her a pointed look. "Besides, who would you suggest I marry?" She grabbed a vial of Magnesium shavings and poured a small spoonful into an empty beaker. "Hand me that flask of Fluorine." Mr. Holmes did as she asked. "Thank you. Honestly, though. Were I to marry, which man would accept me for who I am and not judge me for my past?"_

"_I hadn't thought much on it," he said. "Be careful with that, Miss Bennet. But, perhaps—"_

"_Perhaps you thought I should marry you?" she said, quickly pulling on her protective glasses. She carefully mixed some of the Fluorine with the infusion of Magnesium Chloride. The reaction was not what she expected. "Interesting. Very interesting." She carefully distributed the solution into small vials. "Well? Was that it?"_

_She looked up and saw he was surprised. "Well," he said. "If you wish it." He fell silent. She waited. "I suppose, if you wished it, it could be."_

"_Mr. Holmes," she said, once again lifting her protective glasses. "You know it would never work. I would distract you; you would distract me. You would keep me from my work."_

"_Your criminal tendencies, you mean."_

_She looked up at him. "No," she said. "My chemical research." She returned to recording her findings on her experiment. "Though, I suppose I should thank you."_

"_Thank me?"_

"_Yes," she said, writing furiously. "If you hadn't sent me the anonymous letter in the first place, asking for my services in return for my supplies, I never would have gotten into the business."_

"_If you hadn't posted an advertisement in the agony columns," he countered, "I wouldn't have sent you the letter. What were you thinking; signing as—as—"_

"_As Dr. F.W. Darcy, Chemist?" she asked. "I assumed that if I used my real name, I wouldn't get any results. So, thank you for sending your letter."_

"_You're welcome, I would say," he said. "Had it not been for the fact that you've been murdering people with your little experiments."_

_She looked up at him. "What would you have me do?" she asked. "Sit at home, combine chemicals and unstable materials, in hopes that something will explode or make pretty colored clouds in my home? Honestly, Mr. Holmes. We're both active minds. One would think that you, of all people, would understand my need to further my knowledge of chemistry."_

"_But murder?" he asked. "What would drive you to kill someone only to further your knowledge of your subject?"_

_Kathryn shut her research notebook with a snap. "What would drive you to offer me supplies in return for my services in disposing of Professor Moriarty?" she asked. "I believe this discussion is over."_

"_That is your final decision, then?" he asked, walking towards the door. "You won't do as I advise?"_

"_Your advice?" she repeated. "That I marry you? No, I think I'll have to decline your proposal. Good evening, Mr. Holmes. I trust you can find your own way to my front door?"_

"_Good evening, Miss Bennet," he said, leaving the room._

_She leaned on the table in front of her and sighed, thinking hard and thinking quickly. Because she knew Mr. Holmes was right._

_And when Mr. Holmes called the next morning to entreat her to reconsider her decision, she was gone. And all her homemade poisons and all her possessions that could fit in a traveling trunk were gone. But, upon the table where she was working the evening before, Mr. Holmes discovered a letter addressed to him._

Kathryn sat at her desk and stared at the wardrobe. The response to the letter she left for Mr. Holmes was locked inside the despatch-box. She absently tapped the key to the despatch-box on her desktop as she considered taking the letter out of the box and reading the contents of Mr. Holmes' thoughts.

She stood and took the despatch-box out of the wardrobe. But, before she could open it again, she was, once again, interrupted by a knock at the door. She hastily put the despatch-box away and said, "Yes? What is it?"

The door opened and Sawyer stepped into the doorframe. "We're surfacing in a minute," he said. "We're back in Ireland."


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten:

_Mina…_

Mina looked around her in slight disgust. Limited income or not, this house was completely unacceptable for a Chemist, let a lone a lady, to live in. It was tiny. It could hardly claim to be called a house. It seemed more like a three room shack. There was a room for her bed, wardrobe, writing desk, and wash table. There was a small kitchen, hardly big enough to hold the table. And there was a room that had a large table in it, that Mina was led to believe was Kathryn's study where she did all her experiments and concocted her poisons.

"Mrs. Harker," Nemo said, drawing her attention from the shabbiness of the house. "You should sit down; you do not look well."

"I'm well enough, thank you," she replied and examined the house again. She was honestly hoping that Kathryn considered herself lucky to have been recruited to the League. If she wasn't, Mina didn't know what to think of her.

Either way, Mina had no idea how to consider Kathryn. When she first saw the murderess, Mina considered her to be a small, if not miniscule, threat to anyone. But, when she met her, Mina's view changed considerably. The coldness in Kathryn's eyes, the firmness of her grip, her harsh manner of speaking… Taking all her observations into consideration, Mina came to the conclusion that Skinner and Dr. Jekyll were underestimating her abilities greatly. Kathryn seemed to be so distant that she would have no problem killing anyone. She seemed capable of killing her own mother without a trace of remorse or hesitation.

But then, she did hesitate to shake Dr. Jekyll's hand. She had noticed it and thought it strange, but when Sawyer questioned her about it, Mina felt she needed to appear unconcerned about it to put the American at ease. But she was slightly concerned. Dr. Jekyll was one of the gentlest men Mina knew. Why would anyone hesitate to shake his hand? She thought for a brief moment that Dr. Jekyll and Kathryn had met before and their parting had been sorrowful if not bitter. But she pushed that hypothesis aside almost immediately and came to a conclusion that Kathryn only needed to warm up to the League before she would be fully comfortable with all of them. She had admitted to reading Dr. Jekyll's published works, which included his scientific journal documenting his exploits with the Mr. Hyde formula. Mina wanted to believe that Kathryn feared Mr. Hyde. But, from the behaviour that Kathryn tended toward that Mina had witnessed, Mina had no idea what to believe.

"Miss Kathryn," Dr. Jekyll was saying as he and Kathryn entered the house. He was following Kathryn and watching her as she performed the task she made Nemo return the _Nautilus_ to Ireland for. Kathryn was dressed as a maid, and she looked the part. "You don't honestly believe that Mr. Holmes will be able to prove anything, do you?"

Kathryn turned abruptly to Dr. Jekyll and said, "Do you honestly believe he won't? The man is a genius, Dr. Jekyll. A genius. He's not stupid."

"Kate," Sawyer said. "What's going on?"

She hesitated to answer. "Well…" she began, but never finished, for at that moment, the door opened quickly. Standing in the doorway, looking rather dashing with the light silhouetting him, was Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven:

_Kathryn…_

When she heard they were arriving in Ireland, Kathryn quickly ushered Sawyer out of her room and changed into her costume. She was to pose as a maid in the household of Monsieur Debienne, a retired French gentleman, once a manager of the Opera in the Rue Le Peletier. It had been rumoured that he had been terrorizing the poor ladies of Bray, Wicklow with tales of the Opera Ghost of said Opera. Once having scared the ladies out of their wits with the stories, he would dress as the Opera Ghost and proceed to scare whatever was left in the poor ladies with an act of pure malevolence and lewdness. These rumours had been confirmed to Kathryn when she found one of the victimised ladies on her front porch, begging for sanctuary from the horridly behaved French gentleman. The begrieved woman asked for Kathryn's help to rid the ladies of this male terror and suddenly died from fright after hearing Kathryn's promise to lend her aid.

Therefore, Kathryn felt it was her duty to rid the town of Monsieur Debienne, however gentlemanlike he may seem for all outward appearances.

When the _Nautilus_ surfaced, Kathryn, followed by the rest of the League, disembarked and went promptly to her old home, with several of her tools and peculiar chemicals in a small rucksack. Once inside the tiny building, Kathryn went straight to the study and sorted through what she had. She tucked the bread knife, with it's poison, into her apron pocket, and hid away a vial of _Atropa belladonna_, or Deadly Nightshade, and another of _Conium Maculatum_, or Poison Hemlock, in the folds of her dress, just in case. The poison in the knife's vial was _Colchicum autumnale_, also called Meadow Saffron. It was considered too poisonous by medieval and ancient writers to be used in herbal medicine. Which is exactly why Kathryn decided it was her poison of choice.

She left her house and journeyed the short distance to Monsieur Debienne's manor, with Jekyll in tow. Entering the house through the servant door, she hissed to him, "Stay alert. I can't have anyone knowing what I'm up to. And if you ask me a question, I won't answer; here, I'm a mute kitchen maid who works part time."

"What will I be?" he asked, examining his own apparel.

"My fiancé," she said shortly. "You've accompanied me this evening to make sure I get home safely. Don't worry; it'll be easy." She led Jekyll into the kitchen and silently greeted the other workers there. She took the bread out to the table and set it beside Monsieur Debienne.

"But who is this, Monsieur?" a man said, directly across the table from Kathryn. "I don't believe I've seen her around your manor before." She looked up and straight into the eyes of Mr. Holmes. She felt her blood chill instantly.

"I believe she said her name was Lydia," Monsieur Debienne said. "But she doesn't speak. And she only works here a few days a week. Miss Lydia, this is Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He's assisting me with a trouble."

Kathryn nodded and returned to the kitchen. "Gods… oh, gods…" she whispered, hastily pulling the vials of Deadly Nightshade and Poison Hemlock out of the folds of her dress. "This isn't happening… This is not happening to me!"

Jekyll walked over to her quickly. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeding the distress in her eyes.

"Mr. Sherlock Holmes is joining Monsieur Debienne for supper tonight!" she whispered, pulling a device out of her white mop cap. It looked like a filter. What it did was release whatever poison she placed into the chamber into wine as she poured it from the bottle. It would be inserted into the neck of the wine bottle, positioned just so, giving her the ability to control where the poison went and when it stopped releasing it. "I can't use the knife. Here, take it." She shoved the bread knife into Jekyll's hands. "I can't poison Mr. Holmes. I swore to him I would never do that. C'mon!" she muttered to the device. She was hastily trying to fill it with Poison Hemlock. The powdered plant would kill Monsieur Debienne as he slept that night, causing respiratory failure. She had hoped to continue using Meadow Saffron, causing heart failure, but she didn't have any powdered with her. It was on the _Nautilus_. When the device was ready, she grabbed the nearest bottle of wine and inserted it in the bottleneck. "All right. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Jekyll whispered as she returned to the dining room.

Kathryn silently offered the wine to Mr. Holmes. He declined, saying, "No thank you, Miss Lydia. But, you seem familiar. Have we met before?" She shook her head. But she knew he knew who she was. There was no concealing it from him. She continued to pour the wine into Monsieur Debienne's glass, using the device effectively, as Mr. Holmes said, "Miss Lydia, perhaps you've heard. M Debienne believes he may be getting poisoned. He's called on my help in the matter. Do you think he's being poisoned?" She shook her head. "More's the pity," Mr. Holmes said, giving her a look that she knew to mean, _don't do it, Kathryn._ But she smiled demurely and shrugged, slightly indicating the bottle. Mr. Holmes gave a start. "The wine?" he mouthed to her. She nodded, then pointed to Monsieur Debienne, who was drinking the wine earnestly. "Monsieur, I recommend that you discontinue to drink the wine."

Monsieur Debienne set his glass on the table. "Why?" he asked cautiously.

Kathryn took the moment to leave the dining room as she heard Mr. Holmes say, "I believe it to be poisoned. If you continue to drink the rest of the bottle, it could kill you." Kathryn took the device from within the wine bottle and slipped it into the folds of her dress. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Monsieur. I'll return before evening tea." She heard Mr. Holmes' chair scrape against the wood flooring, then his quick footsteps heading towards the kitchen.

She ran to Jekyll and hissed, "We have to go. Now." Then, grabbing his wrist, she ran from the manor house, pulling Jekyll with her. "Mr. Holmes, I do believe, knows exactly what I've done, and is now in pursuit." She opened the door to her house and entered, Jekyll following her.

"Miss Kathryn," Jekyll was saying as they entered the house. "You don't honestly believe that Mr. Holmes will be able to prove anything, do you?"

Kathryn turned abruptly to Jekyll and said, "Do you honestly believe he won't? The man is a genius, Dr. Jekyll. A genius. He's not stupid."

"Kate," Sawyer said. "What's going on?"

She hesitated to answer. "Well…" she began, but never finished, for at that moment, the door opened quickly. Standing in the doorway, looking rather dashing with the light silhouetting him, was Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself. "Mr. Holmes! What a pleasant surprise!" She quickly entered the bedroom and closed the door. She swiftly changed out of the maid costume, then re-entered the kitchen. "What, may I ask, brings you to my humble abode?"

"You do," he said calmly. "And you know why."

"Mr. Holmes, I would be lying if I said I understood your meaning," she said, slowly walking towards what appeared to be an empty chair. Judging by the impressions in the cushioning, Skinner was sitting there. So she carefully sat on the chair's arm. "Now, without any word from you, I would like to introduce to you my comrades. The gentleman on your left is Special Agent Sawyer, of the American Secret Service. The lovely lady next to him is Mrs. Mina Harker, a Chemist, like yourself. To her left, Captain Nemo, the Captain of the _Nautilus_. The gentleman in this chair, whom you cannot see, is Mr. Rodney Skinner. I spoke to you about him once."

"Yes, you did," Mr. Holmes said, giving her a slight look of disbelief. "And this gentleman?" He indicated to Jekyll.

"Dr. Jekyll," she said. "He was kind enough to help me in my task tonight." She held her hand out for the bread knife, which Jekyll gave her with all too clear eagerness. He seemed glad to be rid of the item. "Gentlemen, Mrs. Harker, this is the renowned Mr. Sherlock Holmes."

She felt Skinner give a start. "Holmes?" he asked. "Inn't he the one who found you out, Kathryn?"

"I believe you're right, Mr. Skinner," she answered, amused at the odd look on Mr. Holmes face. "But, as I recall, we have some unfinished business to attend to. Am I correct, Mr. Holmes?" He nodded. "Well, then. Captain, if you would be so kind as to escort the League to the _Nautilus_, I will be along in about an hour. Thank you." The rest of the League, but Skinner left the small building. "Mr. Skinner, I would appreciate it if you returned to the ship with them," Kathryn said, her hand on his shoulder.

"All right, then," he said, getting out of his chair. The door opened and closed, seemingly of its own accord.

"He stole the invisibility process from the scientist who called himself 'The Hollow Man,'" she explained to Mr. Holmes. "He's gone; I can't hear him beating about in here anymore." She sat in the chair. "Now, why are you here?"

Mr. Holmes drew up a chair and sat. "For exactly what I told you in M Debienne's dining room," he said. "He believed he was being poisoned and sent for me, pressing the urgency. I came and watched him for a day and believed he seemed to be poisoned with a bit of Meadow Saffron. Then you came into the dining room and I knew for certain he was being poisoned." He leaned back and held his fingertips together. "Why did you do it?"

"Did he tell you how he has been terrorising the ladies of Bray?" she asked the detective. He shook his head. "You remember some time ago, there was a story in all the papers of Europe about an Opera Ghost who had been terrorizing an Opera house in Paris, I'm sure. Monsieur Debienne was once a manager of that Opera, and he knew the story of the Opera Ghost better than anyone in Ireland. He would visit unsuspecting, unmarried young ladies and tell them the story, full of such gruesome detail that you could hardly imagine possible. Then, once he had the young ladies afraid to leave their houses after dark, he would dress as the Opera Ghost and terrorize them outside their bedroom windows."

"How do you know this is true?" Mr. Holmes asked, examining her carefully.

She paused, collecting her thoughts. "There had always been rumours of it happening," she explained. "But I didn't know for certain if they were true until two weeks ago, when one of his victims appeared on my doorstep in the dead of night, begging for my help. I swore to her that I would put an end to his terrorism in any possible way I could. Upon spying on Monsieur Debienne, I discovered that the only way to stop him would be to poison him."

"So you killed him," he said flatly. "Miss Bennet, what makes you think for even a moment that killing someone, even for the betterment of another, is acceptable?"

"What made you think, even for a moment, that it would be acceptable if I disposed of Professor Moriarty for chemical supplies?" Kathryn countered. "You don't remember, do you?"

"I remember," he said. "I'm not proud of that letter I sent you. But, in all honesty, I believed you to be a gentleman Chemist who had never even killed a rat in his scientific experiments. Never would I dream of sending such a letter to a young lady who was desperate to continue her studies. When I first met you, over the case of your fiancé's death, I never would have predicted you would become who you are today, Miss Bennet. Never."

"Really," she said, examining him carefully in her turn. He was still very handsome. He was tall, nearly six feet high, lean, but still physically fit. He was just handsome. There was no way Kathryn could find to describe him. She had, at one point, thought herself to be in love with him, but that proved to be incorrect as time taught her that he could never love any woman as much as he loved his work. When she first met him, Mr. Holmes was too scientific for her tastes—it approached to cold-bloodedness. She could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch if the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, she thought that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appeared to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge. And seemed to still have it. "And why is that?"

Mr. Holmes thought for a moment. "You seemed too sweet," he said finally. "Too simple to bring yourself to violence. When I discovered it was you to whom I sent the letter, you cannot know how shocked I was."

"I saw it in your eyes, Mr. Holmes," she said. "I had been following you since I received the letter. I followed you in all your activities, Mr. Holmes. Everywhere. Even to the Falls. You aren't the easiest man to follow. Did you realise?"

"I should hope so," he said. "It was at that point that I didn't wish to be followed… Yet, I must give credit where credit is due. I didn't expect a young lady such as yourself to make that trek unaccompanied."

"There's more to me than meets the eye, Mr. Holmes," Kathryn said simply. "Now, what are you really doing here?"

He sighed. "Do you recall an offer I extended to you several years ago, while we both still lived on Baker Street?" he asked. Kathryn nodded silently. "I came to ask you to reconsider your decision. Your life is still in danger from British justice."

"That I know," she said, almost tartly, standing. She slowly walked around the room as she spoke. "Mr. Holmes, there are a million and three reasons why I denied you. Do not ask me to reconsider. My answer will remain the same."

"Kate—" he began, standing and crossing to her.

She cut him off. "No!" she said, almost shrilly. "Mr. Holmes, please. It wouldn't work. I still have my life to live. I cannot be tied down to a man who would never allow me to continue my research. I will not stop researching until I know all there is to know about my subject. No man will keep me from that. Ever."

"You are still in danger of being discovered," he said. "Not all my records left Baker Street, Miss Bennet. Mrs. Hudson tends to them, but there could be, at any time, a burglary in which the records from your case and crimes could go missing. Then, someone would have leverage to bend you to their will… What do you hope to accomplish by working with this odd assortment of people? What good will it do?"

"I mean to undo the flaws of my character," Kathryn said quietly. "If I cooperate with them, I will receive amnesty from the British Crown."

"So you have been found out," Mr. Holmes said softly. "Interesting."

"I didn't pack up and leave for no apparent reason, Mr. Holmes," she said bitterly. "That morning, I had been informed by my sister that someone knew and they were going to Scotland Yard with their knowledge. I had no time. I hardly had time to speak with you that night."

"Who was it?" he asked, interested. "Do you know?"

"No, of course not," she said. "Don't be ridiculous."

There was a brief pause during which the two Chemists regarded each other. Finally, Mr. Holmes said, "Tell me about Charles Milverton. What do you know?"

Kathryn shot him a look. "Mr. Charles Augustus Milverton," she said. "He was the most talented blackmailer I've ever come across. You regarded him as the worst man in London. As I recall, he was murdered."

Mr. Holmes gave her a curious look. "Murdered?" he repeated. "Do you know by whom?"

"The police suspected it to be a man," she replied lightly. "A man with a description equal to Dr. Watson. Why?"

Mr. Holmes didn't answer her right away. Instead, he studied her face. He looked deep into her eyes and asked, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Arrange for his murder," he said. "How in the world did you do that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "There are undertakings in this world that few can comprehend, Mr. Holmes," she said. "Then there are some that only a few know of. This is one of those. And I shan't tell you how I arranged for his murder. Suffice it to say, I arranged it, it was carried out, and Dr. Watson was blamed inadvertently for it."

"You would let your past husband pay for the crime you organised?" he asked as she walked away from him.

Kathryn spun around to look at him. "Hear this now: I never loved him," she said, coldly. "There are few men in this world that I ever thought of loving. Dr. Watson was not one of them. I only married him to get closer to you. I figured that if I could get close enough to you, I could more easily continue my research."

Mr. Holmes seemed almost shocked. "Who are the few men you ever thought of loving?" he asked her softly. "Miss Bennet… tell me."

"Gods above," she muttered. "That is none of your business."

"Who are they?" he pressed, his hand in his coat pocket.

"It is a dangerous habit to finger loaded firearms in the pocket of one's coat, Mr. Holmes," she said. "And don't threaten me with a gun."

Mr. Holmes sighed and removed his pistol from his coat pocket. He set it on the table. "Miss Bennet, my patience is wearing thin," he said. "Answer my question."

"What difference does it make to you who I ever thought was possible for me to love?" she cried, almost shrieking. Her patience had met its breaking point. "What difference does it make to you if told you that I was in love once with Mr. Zephyr? Or possibly Mr. Skinner? Or possibly even you? Why do you bloody _care_?" She broke out in furious tears. She kicked the nearest door and covered her face with her hands. The last things she wanted was to cry in front of Mr. Holmes. She knew that he was hard-pressed for compassion and could give little to no comfort.

But she heard his quick footsteps cross the room, and felt him pull her into a hug. "Kate, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter anyways," she said. "I once thought myself in love with you, Mr. Holmes. But…"

"But, what, Kathryn?" he asked gently.

She drew a shaky breath. "But, Time is a teacher, and Time taught me well," she said. "I learned that you distrusted women in general and could hardly dare to love any of them."

"And yet," he murmured. "I still asked for your hand. Why is that, I wonder?"

"Because you're strange," she replied, wiping at her salt tears. Then she whispered, "You're strange, and so you seemed to care, too."

Mr. Holmes lifted Kathryn's chin to look into her eyes. "Kate," he said softly. "Never allow anyone to make you feel inferior. You, no matter what you've done, are a remarkable woman. Remember that." Then he kissed her.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve:

_Mina…_

Mina had just returned to the ship when she felt someone grab her arm almost roughly and stop her. She looked around, but saw no one. "Mr. Skinner," she said, "what is the meaning of this?"

"I need to speak with you," he said softly, pulling her away from the rest of the League. She aimed an expectant look in the direction of his voice and waited. "What should someone do if the person they loved, and believed loved them in return, betrayed them?"

She was no less than shocked by his question. "Mr. Skinner," she said, regaining her composure, "you hardly strike me as a man who could fall in love. You seem to lustful to have the taste for it." She gently removed his hand from her arm and adjusted the black fabric of her sleeve. "Why do you ask?"

"I need to know, Mina," he pressed her. "Tell me… Please."

"Well, since you bothered to say please," she muttered. She thought for a moment, then thought of an idea. "Well, usually, when a woman discovers her love betrayed her love, she would give him the cold shoulder and not speak to him until he apologised. But, in the case of a man… He should either approach her and confront her with his concern, or… attempt revenge without hurting her physically."

"Thank you!" he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek. She could hear him running along the corridor, then a door shut in the distance.

"Skinner," she muttered, walking to her quarters. When she reached them, she pondered the invisible man's question. _Is Skinner in love?_ she asked herself. _It doesn't seem quite possible. And yet… He seems so attached to Kathryn. But, what could she have done to betray his love, if he does love her? It couldn't have anything to do with Mr. Holmes. It is reported that he has sworn off women entirely…_ A loud noise then Skinner cursing caught her attention. "Oh, dear," she said quietly, leaving her quarters to inspect the problem.

She found Skinner's quarters a mess. All furniture that wasn't nailed to the floor or too large to lift had been toppled over or thrown across the room. It seemed that whatever anger Skinner was harbouring, it had forced its way out of him via destroying his quarters. Sawyer and Dr. Jekyll joined Mina at the door to Skinner's room.

"What happened?" Sawyer asked her.

She shrugged. "It would appear that Mr. Skinner has had a very trying day," she said almost too calm to be allowed. "And it would appear that whatever anxieties or anger he had was forced out of him in a slightly destructive manner." A chair flew across the room. "Mr. Skinner, please. Calm down." Mina cautiously entered the room and picked up the chair. "Now, Mr. Skinner, let's calm down and clean up your quarters before Captain Nemo sees this." With the help of Sawyer and Jekyll, Mina and Skinner managed to clean up the wreckage Skinner created.

"Thank you," he muttered as Sawyer and Dr. Jekyll left the room. Mina closed the door and turned towards the bed, where she could see impressions of a human body in the bedclothes. "Mina, you can go. I'll be fine," he said.

"Nonsense," she said, crossing to the bed. Finding a place that wasn't pressed into itself, Mina sat on the bed. "Talk to me about it."

"No."

"Rodney, you'll never feel better unless you talk about it," she scolded lightly, using his first name for once. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I can't."

She raised an eyebrow. "And why not?" she asked.

"It's between me, Kathryn," he said, pausing a bit before continuing. "And Mr. Holmes."

"Mr. Holmes," Mina repeated. "What does he have to do with this?"

She felt the weight in the bed shift as Skinner sat up. She could feel the slight pressure of his arm against hers. "He's trying to take her from me," he muttered. "I saw them. Through the window. He's trying to get her to go with him instead of me."

Mina patted Skinner on the shoulder lightly. "Now, now, Mr. Skinner," she said. "I'm sure you simply misunderstood what happened. Mr. Holmes wouldn't try to take Kathryn from you."

"You would think the same thing if you saw what I saw," he said bitterly.

"And what did you see?" she asked him gently.

He sighed. "I saw them talking," he said. "He said something that upset her a little, and she started pacing the room. Then he stood and they talked a bit more. Then she got more upset and he took a pistol from his coat pocket and laid it on the table. Then she got really upset and was practically screaming at him…" His voice trailed off.

"Could you hear what was said?" she asked.

"No. But then she was crying," he said softly, calming down. "And he held her. And then… then…" He stopped for a moment. Then he whispered, "He kissed her… And she let him."

Mina gently put her arm around Skinner's bare shoulders. She felt slightly uncomfortable doing so, since she knew he was wearing no clothing whatsoever. "It's all right," she whispered, pulling him into a hug. "Everything will turn out fine. Trust me."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen:

_Sawyer…_

When he saw Mrs. Harker quietly leave Skinner's quarters, Sawyer ran to catch up with her. "So, what's wrong?" he asked her. "Why's he upset?"

"I really don't think it's my place to discuss it, Mr. Sawyer," she said, before returning to her own quarters.

Footsteps behind him made Sawyer turn around. He saw Kathryn disappear around a corner and followed her. "Kate," he said. She spun around. She was clutching something tightly against her. "What's that?" he asked, indicating to the object she held.

"We all have out secrets, Sawyer," she said. "Let me keep mine." Then she turned and continued down the corridor to her quarters.

Sawyer followed her quickly. When she shut the door behind her, he quickly stuck his foot out and kept it from closing properly. Keeping it open a crack, he looked into her quarters, watching her. She went to her wardrobe and got out the silver box that she kept closing whenever he entered the room. She sat on the floor and unlocked it. Carefully, she placed the object she tried so hard to conceal from him inside the box and closed it. Sawyer heard it lock automatically. He closed the door softly when she put the box back into the wardrobe.

"Spying isn't good for your character, Sawyer," Jekyll said, approaching him.

Sawyer looked at the doctor and said, "She's keeping so many secrets from us. Should we trust her?"

"Walk with me, Sawyer," Jekyll said and the two continued down the corridor. "I spoke with Miss Kathryn this morning. She swore that she would keep her promises that she made with us. So, I believe there is a good chance we can trust her… Did she ever explain to you why she poisoned M Debienne?" Sawyer shook his head. "He had been victimising the ladies of Bray, the town in Wicklow that she lived in, and she promised one of his victims that she would put a stop to it. And she did. So I believe we can trust her."

"But Skinner—"

"Skinner has his own issues with her, I imagine," Jekyll interrupted. "If he finds her incomplete, then it's his own problem and not something you should mix up in. Remember that Skinner is rather attached to her and if you attempt to get between them, there's no telling what he might do. Good evening." Jekyll smiled and walked away, leaving Sawyer alone in the corridor and thoroughly confused.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen:

_Kathryn…_

"Mr. Holmes, please," she said, pushing away from him. "For common courtesy, if nothing else." She crossed the room, then looked back at him.

"I'm sorry," he said. Then he pulled something out of his pocket. "To be perfectly honest with you, Miss Bennet, I don't trust your new-found comrades. If you ever need my assistance, use this." He handed her the object. "Show it to no one. And only use it if you need to. Good night." He tipped his hat to Kathryn, then left the building.

Kathryn stood, musing over what had just happened, then grabbed her things and ran to the _Nautilus_. As soon as she was onboard, she walked swiftly to her quarters. However, before she could reach them, she heard, "Kate." She spun around. It was Sawyer. She clutched the object from Mr. Holmes tightly against her. "What's that?" he asked, indicating to the object she held.

"We all have out secrets, Sawyer," she said. "Let me keep mine." Then she turned and continued down the corridor to her quarters. Entering her quarters, she kicked the door close and got her despatch-box from her wardrobe. Carefully, she retrieved the key from her necklace pendant and unlocked the box. She opened the box and hid the object away in it, then returned the box to her wardrobe.

Sighing, she glanced over at the door leading to the corridor. It hadn't shut completely. She walked over and shut it, locking it. Then she turned to her bed, and without changing into her nightdress, she went to sleep. And as she slept, she dreamed…

_Kathryn had been following Mr. Holmes for months, hoping to find Professor Moriarty and dispose of him. It was now April, and Mr. Holmes had been visited by a man that she had never seen before. But he seemed professor-like in his manner. Unfortunately, Kathryn had no way of knowing if he was Professor Moriarty or not. For all she knew, he could have been Professor McGreggor, the literary Professor of Eaton College._

_But she kept watch out her window. About midday, Mr. Holmes left his home and began walking down the street. Kathryn quickly grabbed her coat and followed him, keeping out of his sight. He seemed to be headed to Oxford Street, but she couldn't be certain until he reached his destination._

_At one point, while Mr. Holmes was crossing the street at the corner of Bentinck Street and Welbeck Street, a two-horse van had sped around the corner and was on him like a flash. Kathryn watched in slight horror as he sprang for the foot-path, saving himself by a mere fraction of a second._

_Kathryn noticed that Mr. Holmes kept to the pavement after his close encounter with the van. However, as she followed him down Vere Street, a brick came down from the roof of one of the houses and shattered at his feet. She kept hidden from sight as he called the police and had the place examined. She knew that, when the police discovered bricks and slates piled up on the roof in preparation for repairs and attempted to make Mr. Holmes believe the wind must have toppled over one of them, he didn't believe the police. It was not in his nature. From there, however, he hailed a cab to Pall Mall where he spent the rest of the day._

_Wandering down the streets of London, Kathryn discovered Mr. Holmes unexpectedly disappearing into Dr. Watson's home. She carefully hid herself below the sitting-room window that never shut properly and listened to the goings-on inside._

"_Yes, I have been using myself up rather too freely," Mr. Holmes remarked, in answer to a question that Kathryn did not hear. "I have been a little pressed of late. Have you any objection to my closing your shutters?"_

_The shutters snapped shut and Kathryn heard the bolt turn. But she could still hear the goings-on. "You are afraid of something?" Dr. Watson asked, slightly concerned._

"_Well I am."_

"_Of what?"_

"_Of air-guns."_

"_My dear Holmes, what do you mean?"_

"_I think that you know me well enough, Watson, to understand that I am by no means a nervous man. At the same time, it is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognise danger when it is close upon you. Might I trouble you for a match?" Mr. Holmes said rather quickly. Kathryn heard the match strike and Mr. Holmes sigh. "I must apologise for calling so late, and I must further beg you to be so unconventional as to allow me to leave your house presently by scrambling over your back garden wall."_

"_But what does it all mean?" Dr. Watson asked._

_There was a brief pause, then Mr. Holmes said, "It's not an airy nothing, you see. On the contrary, it is solid enough for a man to break his hand over. Is Mrs. Watson in?"_

"_She is away upon a visit."_

"_Indeed! You are alone?"_

"_Quite."_

"_Then it makes it the easier for me to propose that you should come away with me for a week to the Continent."_

"_Where?"_

"_Oh, anywhere. It's all the same to me," Mr. Holmes said lightly. There was another pause, then Mr. Holmes sighed again, this time not in relief. "You have probably never heard of Professor Moriarty?" he asked. Kathryn drew in a sharp breath of air. She knew if anyone knew who this Professor Moriarty was, it would be Mr. Holmes._

"_Never."_

"_Ay, there's the genius and the wonder of the thing!" Mr. Holmes cried. "The man pervades London, and no one has heard of him. That's what puts him on a pinnacle in the records of crime. I tell you Watson, in all seriousness, that if I could beat that man, if I could free society of him, I should feel that my own career had reached its summit, and I should be prepared to turn to some more placid line in life. Between ourselves, the recent cases in which I have been of assistance to the royal family of Scandinavia, and to the French republic, have left me in such a position that I could continue to live in the quiet fashion which is most congenial to me, and to concentrate my attention upon my chemical researches. But I could not rest, Watson, I could not sit quiet in my chair, if I thought that such a man as Professor Moriarty were walking the streets of London unchallenged." Hearing this, Kathryn was almost afraid of what she was getting herself into by accepting the challenge to dispose of the Professor._

"_What has he done, then?"_

"_His career has been an extraordinary one. He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature what a phenomenal mathematical faculty. At the age of twenty-one he wrote a treatise upon the binomial theorem, which has had a European vogue. On the strength of it he won the mathematical chair at one of our smaller universities, and had, to all appearances, a most brilliant career before him. But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which, instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers. Dark rumours gathered round him in the university town, and eventually he was compelled to resign his chair and to come down to London, where he set up as an army coach. So much is known to the world, but what I am telling you now is what I have myself discovered," Mr. Holmes paused a moment to take a breath._

_Then he continued, "As you are aware, Watson, there is no one who knows the higher criminal world of London so well as I do. For years past I have continually been conscious of some power behind the malefactor, some deep organising power which forever stands in the way of the law, and throws its shield over the wrong-doer. Again and again in cases of the most varying sorts—forgery cases, robberies, murders—I have felt the presence of this force, and I have deduced its action in may of those undiscovered crimes in which I have not been personally consulted. For years I have endeavoured to break through the veil which shrouded it, and at last the time came when I seized my thread and followed it, until it led me, after a thousand cunning windings, to ex-Professor Moriarty, of mathematical celebrity._

"_He is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans. But his agents are numerous and splendidly organized. Is there a crime to be done, a paper to be abstracted, we will say, a house to be rifled, a man to be removed—the word is passed to the professor, the matter is organized and carried out. The agent may be caught. In that case money is found for his bail or his defence. But the central power which uses the agent is never caught—never so much as suspected. This was the organization which I deduced, Watson, and which I devoted my whole energy to exposing and breaking up," Mr. Holmes was speaking so quickly that Kathryn wondered if he would perchance choke on his tongue. He continued to relate the happenings of that day to Dr. Watson, all of which Kathryn witnessed. "Now I have come round to you, and on my way I was attacked by a rough with a bludgeon. I knocked him down, and the police have him in custody; but I can tell you with the most absolute confidence that no possible connection will ever be traced between the gentleman upon whose front teeth I have barked my knuckles and the retiring mathematical coach, who is, I daresay, working out problems upon a black-board ten miles away. You will not wonder, Watson, that my first act on entering your rooms was to close you shutters, and that I have been compelled to ask your permission to leave the house by some less conspicuous exit than the front door."_

"_You will spend the night here?" Dr. Watson asked._

"_No, my friend," Mr. Holmes said, "you might find me a dangerous guest. I have my planes laid, and all will be well. Matters have gone so far now that they can move without my help as far as the arrest goes, thought my presence is necessary for a conviction. It is obvious, therefore, that I cannot do better than get away fro the few days which remain before the police are at liberty to act. It would be a great pleasure to me, therefore, if you could come on to the Continent with me."_

"_The practice is quiet," Dr. Watson replied. "And I have an accommodating neighbour. I should be glad to come."_

"_And to start tomorrow morning?"_

"_If necessary."_

"_Oh, yes, it is most necessary. Then these are your instructions, and I beg, my dear Watson, that you will obey them to the letter, for you are now playing a double-handed game with me against the cleverest rogue and the most powerful syndicate of criminals in Europe," Mr. Holmes said._

Kathryn was rudely awakened by someone pouring water into her mouth. She sat up and coughed violently, choking on the water. When she could breathe properly, she looked over and saw a floating black leather overcoat. "What?" she asked, wiping her face dry with her sleeve.

"You're needed in the conference room," Skinner said, then left.

She got out of bed, checked her reflection in her mirror, then followed him, stepping over the discarded water glass.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen:

_Jekyll…_

Jekyll thought Kathryn looked a little ill as they all sat around the conference room table, listening to Nemo explain their new assignment. He leaned to his right and whispered to her, "Are you all right?"

She glanced at him. "Yes," she whispered in reply. "Just a little unnerved." Nemo slid the information folder to her and gave her a pointed look. She opened it and flipped through it. She stopped on a picture of the man they were discussing. "This man," she said. "I know this man. He was once my father's friend. He looked exactly like this when I last saw him."

"How old were you?" Mrs. Harker asked.

"Six years old," Kathryn replied. She glanced over the information in front of her.

Nemo looked a bit unruffled. "I was told that particular photograph was taken earlier this year," he said.

Kathryn looked up sharply. "But, that is impossible," she said. "No man can look the same now as he did twenty-six years ago. He hasn't aged at all."

Jekyll pulled the folder closer to him and red through some of the information. "It says in this file," he said, "that he has found a way to produce the Elixir of Life."

"That's impossible," Kathryn said, reading along with Jekyll. "The Elixir was a myth to amuse travellers centuries ago. There's no possible way to create it. You would have to be a super-talented Alchemist, and the file says he is a simple Chemist. And judging by his research reports, he's not a very talented Chemist."

"Nevertheless," Nemo said. "We are required to go to his home in Wales and retrieve this Elixir of Life and destroy all his records of it."

Sawyer lifted a finger in an attempt to speak. "Question: what is this Elixir of Life?" he asked.

Everyone turned to Kathryn. It had been unofficially decided that while both she and Mrs. Harker are Chemists, Kathryn would be the authority on natural poisons and folkloric dealings, while Mrs. Harker would be the authority on actual chemicals. Kathryn cleared her throat and said, "The Elixir of Life is a legendary substance that is supposedly a method of securing Eternal Life. There have been no written record of anyone actually creating the Elixir, and it is widely said that one would need a Philosopher's Stone to create it. And only Alchemists understand the dealings with Philosopher's Stones and create any. There have only been three made in the history of Alchemy and they were all destroy almost immediately."

"Okay, then," Sawyer said, looking thoroughly confused.

"Now the issue remains," Nemo said. "How do we infiltrate his house, acquire the Elixir and destroy his calculations? Is there any possible way to do that without drawing attention to ourselves?"

"I doubt it," Mrs. Harker said. "If he did what we are told he did, wouldn't he guard it with every means he has available? An Elixir that gives Eternal Life; if he honestly did find a way to make it, he guard it selfishly."

"Miss Kathryn," Nemo said. "Would you be able to recognise the Elixir if you saw it?"

"Most likely."

Nemo nodded. "Good," he said. "Then you and Skinner will go in. Your objective will be to find the Elixir, obtain it, and destroy his calculations so he cannot recreate it."

Kathryn nodded. "Sounds easy enough," she said.

"Mr. Skinner?"

The floating jacket didn't respond immediately. Then the invisible man said, "I will not go in there with her."

Jekyll glanced at Kathryn. She looked shocked. "Skinner, what are you talking about?" he asked. "The both of you are perfect for the task."

"I won't go anywhere with her," Skinner said, a bitter tone to his voice. "You'll have to find someone else to go." Then he stood and left the room.

Sawyer looked around. "What just happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kathryn replied softly. "I doubt we can get him to change his mind, though. No matter how much we talk to him."

Nemo sighed. "Then we will need to decide who will go in with Miss Kathryn," he said.

"I will," both Sawyer and Jekyll said at once, both of them getting to their feet.

Kathryn looked at both of them. "Are you mad?" she asked them. "Do you understand what this man is capable of?"

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Harker asked her.

Kathryn stood and held up the photograph. "This man," she said, "murdered my father right in front of me. I was a child, so he thought I wouldn't understand what happened. I understood more than he gave me credit for… I saw him put the poison in my father's drink. Iocaine Powder. There's no antidote. It's one of the reasons I went into the subject I did." She paused and collected herself, wiping away a few wayward tears. "This man will not hesitate to kill you with whatever means possible. If Skinner isn't going to go in with me, I will go alone."

"Miss Kathryn, you can't!" Jekyll said, unconsciously gabbing her arm lightly. "If he wouldn't hesitate to kill Sawyer or I, how can you be sure he won't kill you?"

"I can't," she said. "But, that is my final word. Good evening." She gently took her arm out of Jekyll's grip and left the conference room, obviously trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

"Nemo, she'll be killed," Mrs. Harker said. "She can't go in alone."

"I know it," Nemo said. "And you know it. But she will not listen to reason."

Jekyll sighed. "She'll need help. I don't know the man, but can see that," he said. "I'll go. Even if I have to gag and bind her to agree with it."

"Good," Nemo said. "We will be in Wales by morning."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen:

_Skinner…_

Even though he said he wouldn't go anywhere with her, Skinner silently followed Jekyll and Kathryn into the man's home. His name was, evidently, Sir Lucas, and he was well-off in his own way. He lived alone, since all his children had married and moved into their own homes, and his wife died of a fierce fever. Skinner noticed that Kathryn seemed almost nervous, but still confident, to go to his house.

Kathryn and Jekyll went straight to the front door and knocked. When a maid answered, Jekyll said, "My name is Dr. Jekyll. This is my wife, Mrs. Kathryn Bennet Jekyll. We've come to call on your lord, Sir Lucas. Is he at home?"

The maid looked positively white. Her slightly pink complexion paled at the sound of Kathryn's name. "No, doctor," she said. "I'm afraid he isn't at home. He's away on business."

Kathryn smiled. "Then would you be so kind as to tell him that we were here?" she asked. "When you do, tell him that we were so terribly sorry that we were not able to speak with him. Will you do that for us?" The maid nodded silently. "Thank you. Come, darling. We mustn't keep this lovely young lady from her chores." Kathryn slipped her arm through the crook in Jekyll's and the two left the house, Skinner following close behind them. "Did you notice she seemed afraid of us?" she asked Jekyll as they skirted around the house and peered into the windows as they did.

"She seemed more afraid of you," Jekyll said, looking into a window that seemed to be for the study. "Miss Kathryn! Here, quickly!" Kathryn joined Jekyll at the window and looked in. She nodded to him, then carefully and silently worked the window open.

The window was open only slightly, but the three of them could hear what was said between Sir Lucas and the timid maid. "Sir," she said. "She looked exactly as you thought she would. Her name was Kathryn Bennet."

"So she's come for me at last," Sir Lucas muttered. "Lottie, go. Thank you." The door opened and closed. "I knew she would come to understand what had happened. And now she's come to accuse me of it. Well, if she's insistent, she'll be back. Tonight, too, if I'm not mistaken. But, I'll not let her catch me."

They heard a drawer open and close. Kathryn, Jekyll and Skinner peered into the window. Sir Lucas, a great, fat man with dark hair and no trace of old age in his features, was holding a clear glass vial filled with a green liquid. Skinner noticed Kathryn's eyes narrowed as she examined the vial. Sir Lucas drank the liquid and leaned back in his chair. Presently, his eyes closed and he appeared dead.

Jekyll turned to Kathryn. "Did he poison himself?" he asked.

"Possibly," she said, working on the window again. "Help me. We need to find his laboratory." They got the window completely open and Jekyll helped Kathryn into the building.

As Jekyll climbed through the window, Kathryn discarded her black cloak, revealing that she wasn't wearing a dress as Skinner thought she was. She was wearing black leather pants, a black leather bodice over a black shirt that had sleeves that only reached her elbows. She wore black leather gloves with the fingertips cut off, and black boots. She reminded Skinner a little of Mina, but he thought nothing of it.

Once Jekyll and Skinner were inside the house, Jekyll and Kathryn began looking around the study. She went over to Sir Lucas and examined his body. Then she examined the vial. A puzzled look crossed her face, but she didn't voice any concerns she might have. Finding nothing, she and Jekyll left the study. Skinner followed closely. He wanted to know what they would do. Whatever he said to the contrary, he was genuinely curious about this particular task.

Kathryn and Jekyll silently made their way through the halls of the house. Whenever they came across a room, Jekyll would open the door a crack and look inside. Then he would shake his head. And whenever they came across any of the servants of the house, Kathryn quickly shoved them against a wall and forced something into their mouth, making them swallow.

"What is it you're making them eat?" Jekyll asked after she had done this to her fifth victim.

She stood, after carefully depositing her victim on the floor. "It's a sleeping pill," she explained. "They force the ingestor to sleep for a minimum of twelve hours. Which should give us plenty of time to find what we're looking for and get out. Come on. There's only three more servants, and if we find them, it'll be all the more easier to get this done." They continued on their search.

However, they didn't come across any more servants before they found the laboratory. It was in the cellar of the house and locked extremely well. Kathryn pulled a knife out of nowhere, flipped it open and worked it between the bolt and the wall. Then she pulled out a stiff metal card and ran it down the door, unlocking the doorknob. She quickly opened the door. She put her tools away as she and Jekyll entered the room.

It was unlike any room Skinner had ever been in before. There were tables everywhere, covered with the oddest collection of bottles, jars, flasks and small burners. There were shelves lining the walls on all four sides, all harbouring vials and bottles of oddly coloured liquids. He looked around in amazement. He was even more surprised when he realised that Kathryn was looking through everything very thoroughly and she understood what she was looking at, even without if being labelled.

"Don't touch that!" she said suddenly. Skinner looked over at Jekyll who had been about to move a bottle of a sinisterly red liquid. "It's a rare poison." She walked over to Jekyll. "I know this seems slightly improbable, but if you get even the smallest drop of this on your skin, you will die in a matter of minutes."

"What is it?" Jekyll asked, stepping away from it.

She examined it. "I've never been very familiar with it," she said. "But, it's an extremely potent acid-based solution, containing powdered Deadly Nightshade, Meadow Saffron, and Poison Hemlock. Occasionally, the poisoner will make it even more deadly and add a bit of Arsenic to it. It's the only poison I've ever dealt with or read of that kills its victim almost immediately and merely by physical contact. Most poisons containing Deadly Nightshade, Meadow Saffron, and Poison Hemlock need to be ingested before the poison takes effect. Just be careful, doctor." He nodded.

Kathryn returned to her search of the laboratory. Presently, she held up a vial of a brilliantly bright purple liquid. "Here it is," she said. Jekyll crossed to her. "Here, you take it. Get out of the house as soon as possible. I'll look for the calculations. I'm almost certain they're in the study."

"I can't leave you in here alone," he said, taking the Elixir from her. "Not even with him dead."

"Just go!" she said, pushing him towards the door. Jekyll left, throwing her a look. Skinner watched her as she rifled through a cupboard that held odd ingredients. She pulled out two vials containing bits of different plants. "I knew it," she muttered, then ran out of the laboratory.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen:

_Kathryn…_

So many questions ran through Kathryn's mind as she raced back to the study. But they couldn't be answered… Yet.She entered the study and shut the door behind her. She pulled her pistol out of its holster at her hip and aimed for the 'body' of Sir Lucas. She hated this man more than anyone she knew and she couldn't let him live.

She heard a pistol cock to her side. She looked over and saw the offending weapon floating in midair. "Skinner," she said, "what are you doing?"

"How can the League trust you, if I can't?" he asked, the pistol shaking slightly.

Kathryn kept her pistol trained on Sir Lucas' skull, but turned her head towards Skinner. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "You can trust me. I swore it to you."

"I know that," he said, bitterly. "But, if I can trust you to keep your word, why are you preparing to shoot a dead man?"

"Because," she said, thinking of how she could explain the situation to him. "Because he isn't dead."

"Liar. I saw him drink the poison, just the same as you did," he said. "See? Now you're lying to me."

Kathryn's emotions had gone completely haywire upon seeing the photograph of Sir Lucas on the _Nautilus_, so she had little control over them at the moment. Tears came to her eyes and she fought the urge to cry. "I'm not lying, Skinner," she whispered.

"Drop your gun," he ordered. She complied. The pistol clattered to the floor. Skinner kicked it away. "On your knees." She obeyed. He brought his own pistol to her throat. She stopped trying to control her emotions and was openly crying now. "Hands where I can see them."

Sobbing quietly, Kathryn brought her hands to her chest and clutched at her necklace. "Rodney, please…" she whispered.

"No," he said, sounding like he was crying as well. "I can't trust you. If _I_ can't trust you, the League can't trust you. And the agreement was if the League couldn't trust someone, they couldn't be a part of the League."

"Rodney, don't do this…"

He dug the pistol harder into her throat. "Shut up!" he ordered. "However, if the person was part of the League before the distrust spread through the other members, the distrusted one would have to be disposed of."

"Gods, Rodney, listen to yourself!" she said, quickly pulling the pistol from her throat. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

Skinner fought with her to regain complete control of the weapon. "I understand perfectly well, wench!" he spat. Then the pistol fired.

Kathryn felt an excruciating pain in her chest. She cried out in pain and let go of the pistol. She heard Skinner run across the room and exit through the window. She staggered to her feet and pressed her hand against the new wound in her chest. It was just below her right collarbone. And as far she knew, the bullet didn't hit any vital organs. She could hear footsteps running through the house, investigating the sound of the gunshot. Kathryn ran as best she could to the window, grabbed her cloak and jumped out the window. She drew her cloak about her shoulders as she half-ran, half-staggered off the property.

After an hour of running, knowing she couldn't possibly return to the _Nautilus_, Kathryn collapsed on the side of the dirt road. She rolled into some bushes for as much protection as they could offer and pulled the object from Mr. Holmes out of her bodice. She could barely see it in the dark. It looked like a cylindrical bottle made of iron. She couldn't open it, but there was a button on one end of it. The last thing she remembered was pressing the button and losing consciousness.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen:

_Sawyer…_

When he saw Jekyll return without Kathryn, Sawyer was no less than upset. "Where is she?" he asked as Jekyll handed a vial of bright purple liquid to Nemo.

"She told me to get out of the house," Jekyll said wearily. "So I did."

Sawyer grabbed the collar of Jekyll's jacket and shoved him against a wall. "Mr. Sawyer!" Mrs. Harker said, shocked.

"Where is she?" Sawyer demanded, lifting Jekyll off his feet.

"I don't know!" the doctor said. "I think she's still at the house. Or she'll be here any moment!"

Sawyer was not impressed. "You _left_ her there?" he asked.

"She was shot," Skinner said from Sawyer's left.

The American dropped Jekyll. "What?" he asked. "What did you say, Skinner?"

"She was shot," Skinner repeated. "I followed Jekyll and Kathryn. After sending Jekyll on his way, she went to the study and was shot. I doubt if she's still alive."

"So you left her there to die?" Mrs. Harker said, incredulous. "I know you're angry with her, Mr. Skinner. But, honestly, I didn't think you would be so cold-hearted to leave her to die!"

"Drop it," Skinner said. They could hear him walk down the corridor, then a door slammed shut.

"Well," Nemo said after a bitter silence. "We should continue." He turned and left for the deck.

Sawyer looked at Jekyll and Mrs. Harker. "So we're just gonna leave her there?" he asked them. "We're gonna leave our comrade at the mercy of the enemy?"

Mrs. Harker placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Sawyer," Jekyll said. "Sir Lucas poisoned himself. He's dead. So I suppose we're leaving her with his servants. She may receive medical attention."

"And the noose!" Sawyer spat. "Her name isn't cleared yet, Jekyll!" Sawyer turned on his heel and walked to his quarters.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen:

_Kathryn…_

_It was May 3, 1891. Kathryn hid on her ledge above Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson and watched them at Reichenbach Falls. Presently, Dr. Watson received a letter and he hurried off in the direction from which they had come. Soon after the good doctor had left, the man that Kathryn understood to be Professor Moriarty appeared before Mr. Holmes. They spoke briefly, then Mr. Holmes wrote out a letter. He set his cigarette-box on the letter on top of a larger rock and leaned his walking stick against the rock._

_As Mr. Holmes continued on the path, Kathryn readied the particular weapon she had brought with her to dispose of Professor Moriarty with. Professor Moriarty rushed at Mr. Holmes as he reached the last of the path. Kathryn forgot her task for a moment as she watched in growing horror as the two men teetered on the edge of precipice, both threatening to plunge to their deaths in the Falls. Somehow, miraculously, Mr. Holmes found himself out of Professor Moriarty's grip and the ex-Professor fell into the Falls._

_Mr. Holmes looked around him for a moment, then began to climb up the almost sheer rock wall in which Kathryn's ledge was located. Occasionally, tufts of grass came out in his hand and he threatened falling, but soon regained his grip on the stone. Soon, however, he reached a ledge below Kathryn's and lay there, gathering his breath as Dr. Watson and a few men returned and examined the site. Dr. Watson, with an air of complete sadness, took up what Mr. Holmes had left behind and left._

_Then Kathryn saw a man on the ledge right below her own. He pushed a rather large rock over the edge of his ledge. It struck the ground just a foot from Mr. Holmes' head. Thinking quickly, Kathryn used the weapon she intended for Professor Moriarty on Mr. Holmes' would-be assassin. The man came to his death very quickly and very suddenly. He fell over the side of his ledge and landed on the path far below._

_Kathryn backed away from the edge of her ledge and leaned against the rock wall behind her, breathing deeply. She had never killed anyone in her life. Minutes later, she was joined by the dirt-streaked Mr. Holmes who had the look of utter shock on his face. "Miss Bennet!" he said. "What are you doing here?" She said nothing, but held out the letter she had received ordering her to dispose of Professor Moriarty. Mr. Holmes took it from her and read it. "How did you get this? It was sent to Dr. Darcy."_

"_I wrote the advertisement," she said, shaking her head. "It was sent to me."_

_Mr. Holmes nodded. "Is that why you've been following me for the past few months?" he asked her. He laughed at her look of surprise. "My dear girl, I knew you were following me. You didn't cover your tracks well enough. But I allowed you to do so. You are not a threat to me. Even still…"_

"_What?" she asked. He knew something he wasn't telling her._

_He looked at her. "You were willing to leave your husband and kill a man for the sake of science?" he asked, handing the letter back to her. "I didn't think Dr. Darcy would be able to do that. That's why I sent the letter."_

"_There are undertakings in this world that no one fully understands, Mr. Holmes," she replied softly. Then she realised what he had said. "You sent the letter?"_

"_Yes," he said. "Now, if you wish to receive your payment for your services—"_

"_But I didn't dispose of Professor Moriarty," she protested._

_He held up a hand. "You saved my life," he said. "If you wish payment, you must return to London. Wait for Dr. Watson to return. Then you need to help him spread the news that I am dead. I will keep in contact with you and you will receive your payment. Now, go. And make sure you watch yourself carefully."_

Kathryn woke up to the smell of burning flesh. She tried to sit up, but the pain in her chest was too great. She laid down again and looked around her. She wasn't in the protection of the bushes any longer. She wasn't particularly sure where she was. The door of the room opened and Mr. Holmes walked in. "You're awake," he said, opening the window. "Good. Good. How do you feel?"

"What's going on?" she asked, trying to sit up again. Mr. Holmes helped her. "Where am I?"

"The device I gave you was a way to signal me if you needed my help," he said. "I found you lying in some bushes on the side of the road, bleeding and unconscious. How do you feel?"

"I hurt," she answered honestly. "In more ways than one."

Mr. Holmes smiled. "Care to elaborate?" he asked.

"No," she said firmly. "Why do I smell burning flesh?"

"Ah," he said. "Permit me." He pulled her shirt from her chest and removed the bandages, exposing her wound. It looked like a rather nasty scar. "I was able to get the bullet out. But, as I am a Chemist and not a surgeon, I couldn't think of any other way of closing your wound." He replaced the bandages and covered it with her shirt.

"What did you do?"

"I heated my knife in the fire," he said. "Then I applied it to your wound. You didn't even wake. Usually, when the process is used, the patient wakes and screams because their flesh is being burned with a white-hot blade. You didn't stir. I was afraid I was too late and that you were dead."

"Well, I'm not," she said, adjusting her shirt. "And now, we have work to do." She started to get out of bed, but Mr. Holmes, kept her put.

"I don't think so," he said. "You're not strong enough. Stay here and tell me what happened. Who shot you?"

She could feel her cheeks burn. "I don't feel comfortable telling you that, Mr. Holmes," she whispered.

"Was it one of your new-found comrades?"

She looked up into his eyes. "Yes," she whispered. "It was Mr. Skinner. We were on assignment. Dr. Jekyll and myself were to infiltrate Sir Lucas' manor house, retrieve a particular solution, destroy the documentations of it, then get out."

"What solution?" Mr. Holmes asked.

"We were told that Sir Lucas had managed to create an Elixir of Life," she answered. "At first I didn't believe it. Alchemy hasn't been in practice for hundreds of years. But, Dr. Jekyll and I got into the house and found the laboratory. While searching for the Elixir, I came across several items of interest. Sir Lucas had jars and bottles and vials, dozens of them, all filled with things one would find in an Apothecary. He had Monkshood, Asphodel, Wolfsbane, Wormwood, you name it, he had it. I thought it was odd, since he was a reported Chemist, and everything that I found was used in Alchemy."

"Monkshood and Wolfsbane are the same plant," Mr. Holmes said.

"I know that," she said. "But when we found an entrance to his house, Sir Lucas was in his study, drinking from a vial. At first glance, one would think he was poisoning himself. But, it was unlike any poison with which I am familiar. After finding the Alchemy ingredients, my suspicion was confirmed."

Mr. Holmes raised an eyebrow in interest. "Which was?" he prompted.

"That Sir Lucas wasn't drinking poison," she said. "He was giving himself a Draught of Living Death. A sleeping potion so powerful that it makes it appear the drinker is dead. He's still alive. And he still has the documentations of the Elixir of Life."

"What else happened?"

Kathryn liked her dry lips and continued, "Once we had found the Elixir, I had recognised it from the books on Alchemy that I had read, I sent Dr. Jekyll back to the _Nautilus_ while I searched for the documents. I returned to the study, believing that Sir Lucas had kept them there. When I entered the study, I kept my pistol trained on Sir Lucas' still form. As I began my search, Skinner held a pistol to my head. He ordered me to drop my pistol, the get to my knees and keep my hands where he could see them. Then, keeping the barrel of his pistol tight against my throat, he claimed that the League couldn't trust me if he couldn't trust me, which he couldn't. And anyone from the League that the rest of the members couldn't trust had to be disposed of."

"Good god," Mr. Holmes said quietly. "Please, continue."

"We fought briefly for possession of his pistol," she explained. "It fired, I was shot, and Skinner fled out the window. I had barely enough strength to get out of the manor and to the street before I collapsed. That's when I called for you."

Mr. Holmes nodded. "You've done well, Miss Bennet," he said. "What do you plan to do when you are fully healthy?"

"I plan to return to Sir Lucas' manor and finish my assignment," she said. "Then, I plan to kill him."

"Good god, Miss Bennet," Mr. Holmes said. "You cannot simply poison him."

"I don't plan on it, Mr. Holmes," she said lightly. "If he's taken the Elixir of Life, I'll need to find an antidote to it. Then I plan to shoot him through the head." She sighed, brushed her hair from her face, then looked back at Mr. Holmes. Then she remembered what she had heard that would interest him. "Oh, the League came across Professor Moriarty recently."

"Impossible," he scoffed. "He fell into Reichenbach Falls. You were there; don't you remember?"

"I remember," she said. "But, nevertheless. They found him. You remember a few months ago, the countries were at each other's throats on the brink of war?" He nodded. "The attacks were stimulated by Professor Moriarty, posing as 'The Fantom.' He attacked different countries, and made the weapons that the countries were clamouring for. The very weapons that attacked their countries. He planned to make a significant profit off an arms' race that he himself began."

"But Professor Moriarty—"

"Died at Reichenbach Falls," she interrupted. "But he claimed while the Professor died, he was reborn as 'The Fantom.' Mr. Holmes, believe me, I jest not."

"I believe you," he said finally. "Now, we need to see if you're strong enough to finish your assignment."


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty: 

_Jekyll…_

It had been three weeks since he and Kathryn had found the Elixir of Life. Everyday, Mrs. Harker had been working to discover the secrets of the Elixir since Kathryn failed to return with the documents on it. She had failed to return at all. For all Jekyll knew, she was dead. Or she could be staggering down the dirt streets of the Welsh countryside, trying to get to England. Or she could be in the custody of Scotland Yard.

Truth to tell, Jekyll was feeling slightly guilty about following her orders and leaving her in Sir Lucas' manor. He knew he saw Sir Lucas drink _something_, but he wasn't positive if it was really a poison. Kathryn didn't seem to sure about it, but he never had a chance to ask her. So he had left her in the uncertain conditions she was in. If she was dead, Jekyll was going to take full responsibility and hold her blood on his hands.

"Dr. Jekyll," Mrs. Harker said from the door of his quarters. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," he said, turning to her. "Just tired. Have you finished with the Elixir?"

She sighed and looked down, her hands in the pockets of her coat. "No, actually," she admitted. "I cannot understand it. I've never seen anything like it." She looked at him. "Like Kathryn said, it's Alchemy. And I'm a Chemist. If there was anyone who could unlock its mysteries, it would be her. She at least understood some Alchemy."

"How do you know?"

Mrs. Harker leaned against the doorframe. "I know it didn't seem it, but she and I had a few discussions on our subject," she replied. "She told me that had studied Alchemy for a few months before deciding it was a useless trade. Then she took the poisons from Alchemy and combined them with the poisons of Chemistry and created her own subject."

Jekyll nodded. "That sounds like Kathryn," he said. "What did she call it?"

She hesitated in answering. "_A Study of Peculiar Murder_," she said softly. "She claimed to be writing a book on it. But she said it's in the form of a fantasy novel so as to disguise its true purpose."

"I see," he said. "She was always a different girl."

"Did you know her before she joined the League?" Mrs. Harker asked. "The way you two got on seemed to suggest it."

"Yes," he finally admitted. "But our parting was rather bitter… She's changed so much since then. She's cold, bitter, harsh. Not the girl I met on Baker Street in '81."

"That long ago?" she asked. "Well, I assume if she's been in practice for at least that long, it would have an effect on her. Good or bad, it would affect her."

He nodded. "You're right," he muttered. Then he stood and walked over to her. "Do you need any assistance with the Elixir?"

"If you're willing to follow my directions," she replied, smiling. "Then, of course."


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty-One:

_Kathryn…_

Kathryn had waited three weeks, under the watch of Mr. Holmes, to be strong enough to finish her assignment. She swore to find the documents, so she was going to find them. Finally one morning, Mr. Holmes asked her, "Are you ready to take off the bandages?"

"Yes," she said emphatically. "I'm sick of people asking me if we're married." They had been staying in an Inn a few miles north of Sir Lucas' manor house. Mr. Holmes had registered his name as Mr. Woodhouse, and every morning, when Kathryn went down to breakfast, sometimes slowly due to fatigue, she was asked, 'How are you this morning, Mrs. Woodhouse?' She hated it. Mr. Holmes hadn't gotten her a separate room because he wanted her to be close by in case she needed immediate medical attention even though he wasn't a man of medicine. "I need to get the documents on the Elixir, then find someway to get back to the _Nautilus_."

Mr. Holmes gently removed the bandages from her wound. "Do you really think that's wise, Miss Bennet?" he asked, examining the dark scar. "After all, Mr. Skinner will be there and he was the one who shot you."

"I realise that," she said, adjusting her dressing gown when her wound was proclaimed healed over. "But I have a duty to the others. It's fairly easy to ignore an invisible man. I shouldn't make them think I'm dead. It wouldn't be fair to them."

Her comrade looked at her critically. "So you'll return to the League for the sake of Dr. Jekyll and the others?" he asked. "But you will be able to ignore Mr. Skinner?"

"Yes," she said, standing and walking over to the wardrobe. Mr. Holmes was kind enough to buy her a few new dresses to wear while she recuperated. She took a black dress from the wardrobe and laid it on the bed she used. "But, I noticed you used Dr. Jekyll's name, Mr. Holmes. Why?"

He looked indifferent. "You just seem to be a bit attached to him," he said nonchalantly. "Why is it he keeps your company on your missions?"

She gave Mr. Holmes a _stop it_ look and disappeared behind the dressing screen with the dress. "I am _not_ attached to Dr. Jekyll," she said, dressing. "I'm not attached to any man. I doubt I ever will be again."

"Your behaviour would prove otherwise," he commented. "Wouldn't you agree, Miss Bennet?"

"No."

That night, Kathryn and Mr. Holmes stood waiting outside the back door of Sir Lucas' manor house. They were waiting for the last light lit in the house to go off. Kathryn's hair blew in front of her face. Making a soft noise of annoyance, she pulled her hair away from her face and tied it in a long braid, securing it with a black silk ribbon and threw it over her shoulder. "The light's out," she said, seeing the candlelight extinguish. "Let's go."

Mr. Holmes silently unlocked the door in a way that Kathryn didn't see and opened it. They entered and closed the door quietly. "He's in the study," she said. "I doubt, even after three weeks, that they've moved him. This way."

She led Mr. Holmes through the halls, feeling her way along the walls, without the use of a candle or oil lamp. She found the study and opened the door. She and Mr. Holmes entered the room, Mr. Holmes locking the door behind them. Kathryn lit a lamp and examined the room. As she expected, Sir Lucas was sitting exactly where she had left him. She and Mr. Holmes walked over to him, watchful for any traps or guards.

Kathryn set the lamp on the writing desk and took out the pistol Mr. Holmes gave her. She kept the pistol trained on Sir Lucas and nodded to Mr. Holmes. He took out his hip flask and poured the water from it into Sir Lucas' throat. The knight coughed and sputtered, waking up. "Good evening, Sir Lucas," Kathryn said, bitterness reigning supreme in her voice. "I believe you were expecting me."

Sir Lucas looked at Kathryn in the flickering lamplight. Mr. Holmes pulled out his own pistol and trained it to the knight's head. "Kitty?" Sir Lucas said. "Kitty Bennet? Is that you?"

"Kathryn, if you don't mind, sir," she spat. "All right, I know you've found a way to make the Elixir of Life. Tell me where you put the documents you kept on it. Or tell me how you did it."

"You look just like her," the knight said, instead of answering Kathryn's question. "Just like her."

"What are you talking about, cur?" she demanded.

"Your mum," he said. "She was so lovely. I can't understand why she ever married your father."

"Shut up," she said. But, she could feel her resolve wavering. She slowly lowered her pistol, her eyes gazing across the room, lost in a memory…

_She was six years old. She was watching her father talk with Sir Lucas about something. She couldn't understand what they were saying. Then her father patted her head and left the room for a moment. She looked up at Sir Lucas. He was pouring a white powder into her father's coffee. Her father returned and sent her out of the library. She left, but pressed her eye against the keyhole to see what would happen. Her father drank his coffee. Then, minutes later, he fell to the library floor. Dead._

"Kathryn!" Mr. Holmes said sharply, bringing her out of her reverie.

She shook her head clear of the painful memory and raised her pistol. "Tell me what I want to know, Sir Lucas," she said. "And you may be left alive."

Sir Lucas laughed. "Are you threatening to kill me, Kathryn?" he asked her. He continued to laugh. "You couldn't hurt an insect when you were a child. How could you kill anyone?"

"Don't tempt me," she growled, pressing her pistol against Sir Lucas' head. "Now, I'll ask you again. Where are your documents on the Elixir of Life?" He didn't speak. She cocked the hammer. "I will do it. Tell me what I want to know."

"You know, Kathryn," he said instead. "For such a lovely girl, you're extremely bitter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

He cleared his throat. "If you were so bent on avenging your father's death, you would have come for me years ago," he explained. "But you let your bitterness get the better of you and you waited. Twenty-six years is a long time to wait, girl."

"Where are your documents?" she asked. When Sir Lucas didn't answer, she quickly formed an idea. "Mr. Holmes, come here, please."

"Holmes?" Sir Lucas repeated, surprised. "You brought Holmes with you?"

Kathryn ignored him. "Keep your gun on him," she instructed Mr. Holmes. She took her pistol from Sir Lucas' head and pulled the left side of Mr. Holmes' coat from him. She quickly looked through his inside pocket until she found what she was looking for. Pulling it out, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Holmes."

"Kathryn, what is that?" Sir Lucas asked, indicating to the morocco case she set on the desk.

Working quickly, Kathryn took an empty flask that was conveniently on hand and set it before her. She pulled a vial of Wolfsbane out of her bodice and shook a few leaves into the flask. Using a small paperweight as a pestle, she ground the leaves into a fine powder. She rifled through the desk drawers until she came upon a few vials of Asphodel and Wormwood. She ground a bit of both with the Wolfsbane in the flask. When she had a very fine powder of the different plants, she lifted Mr. Holmes' hip flask from him and poured some water into the flask with the powder. She used a pen to stir the contents well. Then she opened the morocco case and removed its contents.

"Wh-what're you going to do with that?" Sir Lucas asked nervously, indicating to the hypodermic syringe she held.

Kathryn didn't answer him. She carefully filled the syringe with the solution she just created and turned to Sir Lucas. "Now, I will ask you one more time," she said pleasantly, holding the syringe where he could see it. Mr. Holmes was giving her an odd look. She ignored him. "And I expect you to comply. Where are the documents on the Elixir of Life?" Sir Lucas didn't answer; he was eyeing the syringe warily.

"Sir Lucas, it is in your best interest to answer her," Mr. Holmes suggested. "You should cooperate."

The knight didn't answer. "Fine, have it your way," Kathryn said lightly. She pulled Sir Lucas' left arm towards her and rolled up the sleeve, exposing his pale forearm. "Last chance to cooperate before I take drastic steps." He gave her a steely look. "Well, Mr. Holmes, I tried being pleasant. Now, I get to play." She thrust the delicate needle into Sir Lucas' forearm.

"No!" he said, wincing in the sharp pain. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you!"

"Good," Kathryn smiled. "Where are they?"

Sir Lucas swallowed. "In that filer," he said, nodded to a deep drawer in the writing desk. "It's in a file labelled _Merlini_. Please don't hurt me, Miss Bennet. Please."

Kathryn nodded to Mr. Holmes. She kept her hand on the syringe as Mr. Holmes went through the filer, looking for the file. Presently he pulled one out and looked at the documents. "It's here," he said. "Let's go, Kate."

"Well, Sir Lucas," she said. "It appears that you won't be losing your life tonight, after all."

He laughed at her. "You fool," he said. "Did you honestly think that I would create an Elixir of Life and not drink it? You couldn't kill me even if you stuck your pistol in my mouth!"

Kathryn smiled coldly. "I didn't think you would so stupid as to not take it," she said. "But I didn't think you would be stupid enough to say something like that while you still had a needle in your arm." She pressed down the tiny piston and waited until all the contents of the syringe had emptied itself into Sir Lucas' arm. She took the needle out of his arm and returned it to the morocco case.

"You bi—!" Sir Lucas cried before he lost consciousness.

"Sweet dreams, Sir Lucas," Kathryn said coldly. "I'll return. With an antidote to the Elixir." She handed Mr. Holmes his syringe then left the study.

Mr. Holmes followed her. "What did you give him?" he asked as they walked out into the cool, crisp night.

"Hm?" she asked. "Oh! A Draught of the Living Death with an infusion of Wolfsbane." She chuckled sinisterly.

"Would that kill him?"

"Gods no. It will make him sleep," she said. "And with the Wolfsbane, he'll be very sick. But, his servants can't do anything to help him. He'll have to wait until I come back with an antidote." She smirked. "You could call it my small act of revenge."


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty-Two:

_Sawyer…_

Sawyer trudged through the thick snow on the London walk. It was November 1900, and months since the League left Kathryn at the mercy of their enemy. Mrs. Harker still hadn't found an antidote to the Elixir of Life. Neither had Jekyll, who was helping her. The League was beginning to lose all hope of ever finding the antidote. So they had docked at London to give them a few days on land before setting sail again.

The American didn't know London very well, so he took to exploring the large city. He had wandered past Baker Street, where the famous Sherlock Holmes and Kathryn had once lived in their respective houses. He wandered past Big Ben Clock Tower, stopping only to gaze up the tall tower to see the face of the famous clock. He wandered past Buckingham Palace. Then he realised he was utterly lost.

Looking around, he tried to make sense of his surroundings. But to no avail. So, he walked into the nearest shop to ask for directions. The League agreed to meet at the train station at Victoria at eleven o'clock, and it was a quarter past nine. He had time, but Sawyer wanted to know how to get there as soon as possible in case it would take a while.

The shop he walked into was an Apothecary. He remembered Kathryn talking about them at one point. A pang of guilt struck him. They still had no word from her. For all he knew, she was dead.

"What kin I get cher fir, laddie?" the wizened little man behind the counter asked as Sawyer looked around the shop.

The American went over to the counter and said in an undertone, "I'm actually looking for some information. Can you help me?"

The man screwed up his face in thought. "Well," he said slowly. "Th' infermashun hain't been commin' in steady since Miz Bennet lef' London. Kind er speraticish, y'know?"

"Miss Bennet?" Sawyer repeated. He had thought Kathryn's last name was Bennet. But he was having a difficult time remembering. "Who's Miss Bennet?"

"Miz Bennet?" the man repeated. "Ow, she's a pip! Yeh'd like 'er if yeh ever met 'er, yeh would. Lived over on—what wuz it? Oh, yeh. Bak'r Street. Nex' to wotch 'is name? Ol' 'Olmes. Sherlock 'Olmes. But, Miz Bennet. Now, 'ere's a gal that hain't got nuffink to wurry abou', she don'. Got's everyfink und'r 'er control, don' she? Real smart 'un. Got's a good 'ead on 'er shoulders." The man sighed and lost himself in thought.

Even though Sawyer hated listening to this man speak, he still needed information. "Hello, excuse me," he said. "I'm sure Miss Bennet is a wonderfully nice person, but I need information. How do I get to Victoria?"

"Not lost, are you, my dear?" a woman said behind him. Sawyer spun around. Standing a few feet away was a woman who could be considered a witch, if he believed in witches. She had long, scraggily black hair, a crooked nose that looked as though she broke it, and gnarled hands. She held out one of her gnarled and deformed hands. "I'll help you find your way."

"No, thank you," he said, backing away from her. His back hit the counter. "I just need to be pointed in the right direction. Where is Victoria?"

"I'd 'ead norf, I fink," the man behind the counter said. "Cain't be shore, but I fink it's norf."

The gnarled woman took Sawyer's arm in her surprisingly pincer-like grip. "Come with me," she said, pulling him toward the door. "I'll get you there."

"No," he said, trying to get out of her grip.

"Sawyer?" The young American looked up. In the doorway stood a woman who had a familiar shadow. She walked into the shop and over to him. She managed to get the crone to let go of him. "Sawyer, what're you doing here?"

"Kate?" he asked softly.

She smiled and took his hand. "Come on, let's get you in the sun," she said, pulling him to the door. "You look frighted out of your mind, you do." She pulled him out onto the pavement and brushed him off. "What were you doing in the Apothecary, Sawyer? Dodgy place. Don't want anyone to see you in there." She smiled at him and waited for him to speak.

"Kate," he whispered again. Then he pulled her into a tight hug. "You're alive. I can't believe it! You're alive!"

She pushed him away from her. "We don't hug in public in London," she said. "Walk with me, I'll get you a bite." She began walking down the street. Sawyer followed her, examining her and wondering why she seemed different.

Then the fading sunlight hit her hair just right. It was auburn. He was used to seeing her hair brown. He liked the red hair. It suited her. She was wearing a black dress that covered her more than the dresses she wore on the _Nautilus_. It had a high collar, long sleeves, and a long skirt. She had always worn long skirts, but this one seemed particularly long for some reason. "Kate," he said. "Why the change of appearance?"

She looked at him sideways. "Do you honestly think I would survive being in London looking the way I did?" she asked as they turned down Baker Street. She led him up the steps of one of the houses and unlocked the front door. "Come on in, Sawyer."

He entered the house and looked around him. It smelled strongly of chemicals. It suited her. "Is this where you live?" he asked.

"Well, I _own_ it," she said, walking down the hall to the kitchen. Sawyer followed her. "I'm staying here temporarily until I can find a better place. I can't stay in London forever, unfortunately. Mr. Holmes believes there's a small house on the property next to his that may be put up for sale fairly soon. So I may leave London forever and live there. But I'm undecided. I just need to be able to continue my studies." She fell silent and got out a small loaf of bread and began to slice it.

He looked around the kitchen. It looked rather bare. "You can't keep living like this," he commented as she spread some butter on the bread slices. "You should find someone. Get married, settle down and have a family. You can't die unmarried."

"I was married," she said, handing him a slice of bread. "A few times. Unfortunately for them, only the first husband escaped the marriage alive."

"Who was he?"

She chuckled. "Dr. Watson," she said. "Mr. Holmes' closest friend."

"Was the parting agreeable?" Sawyer asked, taking a bite of the bread. It was a little stale, but it still tasted really good. And he realised just how hungry he was.

"Yes," she said after a while. "To this day, he has no idea I left." Sawyer gave her a look of confusion. She laughed a little. "I had my sister pose as me several years ago. Since she looks exactly as I did—my hair was blond then—he was fooled. I only needed her to pose as me for a few months. But she fell in love with him and she was determined to stay Mrs. Mary Watson for the rest of her life. So, he has no idea it isn't me."

"But you're the one married to him, aren't you?" he asked, finishing the bread. She handed him another slice.

"Technically," she said. "But, it was under an alias. So, technically, whoever bears the alias, whether me or my sister, is married to him. It doesn't matter. At least he's alive, right?"

"I suppose," he said, setting the bread on the platter with the rest of the loaf. "Kate, how're you holding up?"

"I don't understand," she said.

"Skinner told us you were shot," he said. "Were you?" She nodded silently. "Are you okay?"

"Sawyer, I'm fine," she said. "I was properly attended to, I assure you. Occasionally, it gets a bit sore from work, but other than that…" She stopped talking and looked up into Sawyer's eyes as he drew closer to her. "You have beautiful eyes," she whispered.

"So do you," he replied as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty-Three:

_Kathryn…_

The next morning, Kathryn woke to feel Sawyer sleeping peacefully next to her. She looked down at him and admired the serenity he captured as he was comatose that she never saw when he was active. Perhaps that was why she never found him particularly attractive. He rolled onto his back and smirked in his sleep. She smiled warmly. He was probably one of the only people who could get her to show an emotion other than irritation, anger and/or great distaste.

She brushed his curly blond hair from his face and he grabbed her hand. "Don't do that," he said softly, still partly asleep. "It tickles."

Shaking her head in amusement, Kathryn laid on her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows. "Good morning," she said. "Did you dream?"

"Yeah," he said. "I dreamt that you let me do that sooner." He opened one eye and looked at her. "Did you dream?"

She paused. "Uh, yes, actually," she said. He gave her an expectant look. "I dreamt that I was putting a gun to the heads of a certain list of men and pulling the trigger."

He stared at her. "You have problems," he said, sitting up and rubbing his the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm aware of that," she said, also sitting up, but taking the silk blanket with her for modesty's sake, if nothing else. "Sawyer, I was wondering. Are you in London alone, or is the League with you?"

"Oh, my god," he muttered. "I completely forgot. I was supposed to meet them at Victoria last night."

He got out of bed and quickly began dressing. Kathryn watched him silently. He really was a handsome man. And only four years younger than her. On the _Nautilus_, the age difference felt too extreme to pursue anything, but in London… Well, for her, everything was different in London. Except her firm resolve against falling in love again. So she merely let Sawyer have his fun. Now, he was going to take her back to the _Nautilus_. Whether he wanted to or not.

"Kate," he said, pulling on his black vest. "Come with me. Come back to the _Nautilus_ and the League."

She nodded. "Go get some break fast," she said softly. "I'll be out presently."

He crossed to her, kissed her lightly, then left the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Kathryn quickly got dressed. She chose her black work attire. It was a bit provocative, true. But she needed to be able to move properly in case Skinner pulled anything. Pulling on her long, black over coat, she walked to the kitchen, her red-dyed hair spilling over her shoulders.

"Stop right there, Bennet!"

Kathryn looked up sharply and saw several men standing in her kitchen. Two had Sawyer gagged and his hands tied. Every other man had a gun of some sort aimed at either her head or her heart. The leader of the group was none other than Professor James Moriarty himself. "Good gods, James," she said. "No matter how many times someone kills you, you always come back. How do you do it?"

James walked over to her, stopping less than two feet from her. "I like your new look, Kitty," he said softly. "And I know you have the formula for the Elixir of Life. If you would be so kind as to return it to me, I would greatly appreciate it."

"And what would a Professor of Mathematics want with an Elixir of Life?" she asked alluringly, looking up into his eyes.

An odd look crossed his eyes. "You wicked tease," he said, smiling, tempted. "I saw what you did with Sir Lucas. Brilliant, Kitty, I must say. When I first taught you, I didn't think you would be able to think of something so depraved. Allow me to offer my congratulations."

"I would prefer it if you didn't," she said simply. "But, if you've come here for the formula, you'll have to come with me to my study." She turned sharply. "And they can stay here." And she left the kitchen, hoping that Sawyer wouldn't do anything stupid. If she played her cards right, she could get them both out of the situation unharmed. But only if he didn't do anything stupid. Kathryn and James entered the study. She closed the shutters and he locked the door. "If you're insistent on offering your congratulations, James, you may do so in here."

He smiled, crossed the room to her and pulled her into his arms. Tenderly, he kissed her. This was one kiss she had missed since ending a marriage or relationship. At times she was led to believe his kiss was one of actual love than lust. When she loved him, she was only eighteen. When he loved her, he did so without drawing the attention of Mr. Holmes. Until it appeared that he was murdered, that is. It wasn't until later, when Mr. Holmes enlisted her help, that Kathryn learned what her love really was. And even still, it broke her heart again to watch him fall into the abyss of Reichenbach Falls. And yet, he was alive. He had created the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to steal their abilities and sell them as weapons less than a year ago. She knew Sawyer was certain he had killed him. Even so, here he was, alive, and kissing her as he did when they were engaged to be married. "You really are a wicked tease, Kitty," he murmured, looking deep into her eyes.

She smiled. "I do what I can to survive, James," she replied. She kissed him. She could feel his tongue gently play games with hers. "Gods, I missed you."

"Still Pagan, are you?" he muttered, letting her go. "Why does that not surprise me? What surprises me is that you were Pagan to begin with. It didn't seem to fit your character then."

Kathryn walked over to her desk. "That was fourteen years ago, James," she said, going through the papers on the desk. "What surprises me is that you're still alive. Honestly, how many times have you been murdered or killed? Three?"

"Seven," he replied, following her to the desk. "Which is why I need the Elixir's formula."

"You developed the means to create it, didn't you?" she asked, surprised. "And Sir Lucas stole the formula from you. Didn't he?"

He nodded. "Correct," he said. "That man stole more from me than just the formula, however."

"What do you mean?" She was still trying to remember where she had put the formula. She knew she left it in her study, and she was almost certain on the desk. But she couldn't find it. "What else did he steal?"

"You." She stared at him. "You see, it was Sir Lucas who attempted to murder me. He didn't want it known to the public that he had the Elixir of Life formula. So he attempted to dispose of me. Doing so, I had to disappear. And we couldn't marry." He took her hand and caressed it. "These past fourteen years, I have watched your actions. I've documented everything you've done. Everyone you've killed, every man you've married. You've married more times than I've died."

"As I said," she said. "I do what I can to survive." She sighed. "But, had I known you were still alive, I would have searched for you."

"But that would have ended a brilliant career before it started," he said, pulling her into his arms again. She rested her head against his shoulder. "You were well up on poisons, but you hadn't put any of the weapons you created to any use. If you hadn't watched me fall into Reichenbach Falls, you never would have killed your first victim." He sighed and kissed the top of her head. "But now, Kit. Now, once I have rebuilt my assets and redesigned my plans, we can be together. Forever. Without anyone getting in the way. Without Holmes, Lucas… Skinner."

She looked up at him. "How do you know about Skinner?" she asked.

"My dear girl," he said. "He used to work for me. That was before he went invisible. I knew he had found you and was growing attached to you."

"Didn't you organise the League, though?" she asked. "Didn't he recognise you?"

"No," he said. "The process he went through to become invisible jarred his memory. Enough to forget he worked for me at all. But he didn't forget you. Which seemed ideal for the League's second mission. Who else would be talented enough to find their way around Sir Lucas' home and find a mythical potion but you?"

"I'm flattered, James," she said. "But you've complicated things a bit."

He nodded. "If you're referring to your recent bullet wound," he said. "I understand and know exactly what you're talking about. And frankly, darling, I planted the distrust in him."

"You wanted him to shoot me?" she asked, surprised.

"No. Never," he said. "I wanted to get you out of the League. So I could find you and make you mine again." He lifted her chin gently and kissed her again.


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty-Four:

_Sawyer…_

He was ambushed as soon as he set foot in the kitchen. There was no possible way to hold them all off and he was captured. His hands were roughly tied together as the ambusher stepped out from the shadows. Professor Moriarty. "You!" Sawyer said, shocked. He had shot this man and watched him die.

"Yes, me," he said, smirking. "You're Quartermain's little American friend, aren't you?" He nodded and Sawyer was gagged. "Ah, yes. Yes, you are. You know, your bullet still makes me itch. So I don't thank you for it." He walked closer to Sawyer. "Where's Kitty?"

It took Sawyer a moment to realise that 'Kitty' was a nickname for 'Kathryn.' He didn't respond in any form. He glared at Moriarty and attempted to get free from his captors so he could kill the bastard again.

"You won't tell me?" Moriarty asked. "Fine. I can wait." Sawyer could hear footsteps in the hallway. Kathryn. "I believe that's her. Thank you for your services, son." He motioned to his goons and they took their positions. She walked into the kitchen, pulling on her long black overcoat. "Stop right there, Bennet!"

Kathryn stopped suddenly and looked up from the ground. She seemed shocked to see Moriarty in her kitchen. "Good gods, James," she said, suggesting a familiarity with the bastard. "No matter how many times someone kills you, you always come back. How do you do it?"

Moriarty crossed the distance between him and Kathryn and stopped closer to her than Sawyer wanted him to be. He could hear them talking in low voices. Then Kathryn turned around sharply and began walking out of the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, "And they can stay here."

Before he followed Kathryn out of the kitchen, Moriarty walked over to Sawyer. "Looks like I win, doesn't it?" he asked, mocking him. "Did you honestly think she cared enough for you? Loved you?" He laughed, then turned to his goons. "Keep him here." Then he was gone.

Sawyer could feel then anger build up inside him. When he heard a door close down the hall, he took action. He had been working to get his hands out of the rope and had finally gotten them free when Moriarty left. Quickly, he attacked the two men closest to him, kicking one and punching the other, sending both of them to the floor. The next two men were on him in an instant. He grabbed the bread knife from the counter and sent it into the throat of one, and tried to get the other from chocking him. He grabbed the knife from his belt and dug it into the stomach of the man chocking him, forcing him to let him go. Then the knife found a home in the man's heart and he fell. The last man had a gun out and was taking careful aim at Sawyer's head. But Sawyer kicked it out of the guy's hands and threw his knife. It took a place in the man's forehead.

After quickly collecting his knife and wiping it clean, Sawyer quietly ran down the hall to the study. The door was locked, but he could see through the keyhole. Kathryn was at her desk, going through the papers there, looking for something. Moriarty walked to her and took her hand in his. Sawyer couldn't hear a word either was saying; they spoke in low voices. Then Moriarty pulled Kathryn into his arms and she rested her head against his shoulder. They kept talking and she looked up at Moriarty. A few more words. Then Moriarty kissed Kathryn.

It was more than Sawyer wanted to see. He forced the door open and had his gun out, and trained on Moriarty's skull. "Get away from her!" he shouted. "Damn it, Moriarty, get away from Kate!"

Moriarty stepped away from Kathryn, his hands in the air. "Sawyer," she said, crossing to him. "Sawyer, please. Don't do this."

"Get behind me, Kate," he said. "Moriarty, I will give you until the count of five. If you don't get out of this house by then, I will kill you."

"No," she said, taking Sawyer's gun from him. "You are not going to kill anyone. Not in here. I don't care about the kitchen, Sawyer. Gods, do you know how many men I killed in there? It's used to it. But the study. The study has never seen bloodshed. And it never will." She walked over to her desk, taking his gun with her. She pulled a letter out of one of the drawers and wrote something on the back of the sealed envelope. She returned to Sawyer and said, "Now, I'll thank you to give me back the documents on the Elixir of Life. Don't steal anything from me. I don't like it." She held her hand out for the package Sawyer had in his pocket. He gave it to her. "Thank you." She handed it off to Moriarty. "Put it on the desk, or so help me gods, I will allow blood on this carpet." Moriarty did as she said. "Sawyer, I need you to give this letter to Dr. Jekyll. Let them all know I'm alive. But this goes to Jekyll. No one else." She handed it to him. "There's an address on the back. Send my despatch-box to that address. It's a silver box in my wardrobe."

"Skinner's rifled through your things," Sawyer told her. "He took something from your quarters. I think it was your box."

"Then take it from him," she said. "And send it to that address. It will go to my sister, Jane's house. She'll know what to do with it." She cleared her throat and paused for a breath. "Now, I have reason to believe that Allan Quartermain is still alive."

"Kate, have you lost your mind?" he asked her.

"No, quite the contrary," she said. "I will be going to Africa to investigate whether or not my beliefs are founded in truth. I will first stop by my sister's house to retrieve the box. If you meet me in Kenya, I may have certain antidotes the League may want by then. Now, get out of my house."

"But, Kate—"

She raised her own pistol to his head. "Get out of my house," she said lowly. "Get out or I will shoot you myself."

"Kate, listen to me—"

"There's nothing to discus," she said, releasing the safety lever. "You've been warned, Sawyer. Get out."

Sawyer nodded. Then he turned quickly and left her house, running down the street to where the _Nautilus_ was docked.


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty-Five:

_Kathryn…_

She sighed and lowered her pistol as Sawyer left the house. "I didn't want to have to do that," she muttered, holstering her pistol. She walked over to the desk.

"Bold move, Kit," James commented as she opened the package Sawyer returned. "Why are you going to Kenya?"

"Because if Allan Quartermain _is_ still alive, I want to know how," she said. "And I thought that I could perhaps combine Alchemy with African Magic, and possibly make the Elixir stronger."

James gently placed a hand on her cheek and turned her face towards him. "You were so lovely," he said softly. "But, since then, you've changed in so many ways. What happened to you?"

She noticed his hand felt as cold as ice. His hands were never cold. "Death, James," she said. "I've witnessed it far too many times in my life to come out unaffected. The effect death has is different from person to person."

"It made you cold and hard-hearted," he said, pulling her over to him. He was leaning against the desk and he pulled her up against him. "It made you one of the most feared women in all Europe."

"Thank you," she said, feeling his hands snake around her waist and under her clothing. She winced. "Gods, your hands are freezing, James! What's wrong? You were never cold."

He averted his gaze. "I need more of the Elixir," he said, almost mumbling. "Without it, I'll die in a month or two."

"What?" she asked, shocked. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" She moved away from him and hurriedly started packing the Elixir formula and other important documents into a case. The bell rang. "Oh, gods," she muttered. "Gods, I hope that's not the police." James started to walk to the front door. "No, James, I'll get it." She ran to the front door and opened it a crack. It was Mr. Holmes. Almost worse than the police. "Yes?"

"Higgins said he saw a group of thugs through your kitchen window," he said. "They were either dead or severely wounded. Is everything all right?"

"Yes," she said, quickly. "Everything's fine. I was just packing to continue on."

"May I come in?" he asked, pushing on the door.

"I would rather it if you wouldn't," she said. But she had no choice. Mr. Holmes pushed the door open and walked into her house. She shut the door. "Honestly, Mr. Holmes. Everything is just fine. There's no problem whatsoever."

"Then why is there blood on the floor of your hall?" he asked, pointing it out.

"I didn't even notice that," she muttered. Then she noticed he was walking swiftly to the study. "Mr. Holmes, please. Just leave. I have to go." He entered the study. She groaned when she heard the shouts of surprise.

"Moriarty."

"Holmes."

Kathryn walked into the study to find both Mr. Holmes and James eyeing each other warily, holding pistols up. "Gentlemen, please," she said.

"Is this why you wanted me to leave, Miss Bennet?" Mr. Holmes asked her.

"Partly," she said. "Please lower your weapons. There's no time for this." When they didn't move, she sighed. Then two gunshots were heard. The men looked over at Kathryn. She had both her pistols out and had just shot the guns out of their hands. "You will settle this like the learned men you both are… Or I won't marry either of you."

"What?" they both said at the same time, staring at her.

She feigned innocence. "Your offers still stand, don't they?" she asked. They nodded. "Well, then. Unless you both cooperate and follow my rules, I won't marry either of you. I'll—I'll run away with Skinner!"

"Kathryn, he _shot_ you!" the both protested.

"I don't _care!_ You both are acting like idiots!" she screamed. "Settle this! Now." She holstered her pistols and waited, watching them. The men glared at each other for a moment. Then they both suddenly had knives in their hands. She could tell they were not going to settle their differences intellectually. As they both lunged for each other, Kathryn quickly puts herself between them. She felt the stinging pain of a metal blade in the back of her left shoulder and she grabbed the shoulder of the man she was facing. Her nails dug into his shoulder and she could feel her strength leaving. She sank to the floor and gasped for air.

"Miss Bennet—" Mr. Holmes said.

"Go away," she said. Her vision was blurring. Then it came back into focus. Her overcoat was off, and James was holding her, pressing a cloth to her wound. "There's someone coming," she whispered, hearing the footsteps in the hall.

The door opened and Jekyll walked in. "Good god," he said. "What happened?"

"Dr. Jekyll," she said. "I need your help." She sat up and pulled away from James. She pulled her hair around her neck, away from the wound. "Stitch me up."

"But—"

"Just do it," she said. "There's no time for sedatives, so don't bother." She brought one knee to her chest and held onto her leg as Jekyll pulled her shirt away from the wound. Her nails dug into her leg and she uttered a soft sound of pain as she felt the needle enter she skin as Jekyll stitched the wound closed.

"There," he said after a bit, replacing the fabric of her shirt. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said. "What are you doing here?" She stood, leaning on the desk.

"Sawyer had boarded the _Nautilus_ yelling for me and saying that you were alive," he said. "I felt so guilty about leaving you at Sir Lucas' that I needed to find out for myself." He held out her despatch-box. "I brought it to save you a trip."

"Thank you," she said, taking the silver box from him. "Did you read my letter?" He nodded. "The document should be in the desk drawer unless Skinner pinched it. Now, go. I don't have time to chat at the moment."

"But—"

"There's no time for this, Jekyll!"

"You should come with us," he said.

She looked at him sadly. "I can't," she said. "Now, go. I have to finish packing."

"But, Kathryn—"

"Get out of my house, Henry!" she shouted. "I don't have time for this." He nodded and left her house hurriedly. Kathryn sighed, then her strength failed her altogether. James caught her and carried her into her bedroom and laid her on her bed.


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty-Six:

_Skinner…_

Skinner watched as Jekyll and Sawyer boarded the _Nautilus_. They were talking in low voices as they discussed a subject secret to all but them. Their manner made him nervous. Earlier that day, Sawyer had run onboard, shouting that Kathryn was alive. Then he started shouting for Jekyll. When the doctor answered the call, Jekyll soon left in search of her. Sawyer followed him.

Now, they have returned and speaking secretively among themselves. Skinner was afraid that perhaps they discovered that he lied to them about how Kathryn had gotten shot. But there was nothing he could do about it now. He had made a mistake. He knew that. As soon as the gun fired, he regretted it immediately. He panicked. He didn't know what to do. He had shot the only woman he had ever loved. Over a simple thing as a kiss.

He realised in the months that followed that he should have trusted her more than he did. When that came to his attention, he began to worry about whether or not she was alive. He wanted her to live, and if she died, he wanted to die too. But she was alive, and he was happy even though she wasn't with him.

Nemo called a meeting and the League met in the conference room. The captain stood at one end of the table and said, "According to Mr. Sawyer's information, we have reason to believe Mr. Quartermain is alive. Whether this information is legitimate or not, we will not know until we test it." He paused. "Of course, Mr. Sawyer's informant is a woman who led us to believe she was dead."

Sawyer seemed upset at the last comment. "What was she supposed to do?" he demanded, standing. "She was shot. She healed, broke into Sir Lucas' house, stole the Elixir documents, and ran back to London. We haven't been at port since we left Wales; how was she supposed to contact us?"

"Sawyer, calm down," Jekyll said. "Your concerns are understandable. But it does not excuse the fact that she wouldn't allow you to take the Elixir documents out of her house. Did you or did you not tell me she held a gun to your head?" Skinner was surprised. Sawyer didn't answer. "Did she hold a gun to your head?"

"She was trying to get me out of the house," Sawyer said, trying to defend Kathryn. "Moriarty was there—"

"Moriarty?" Nemo repeated, interrupting Sawyer. "Professor Moriarty?"

"The man who posed as M and the Fantom," Sawyer said. "And the two of them were getting a little to cosy, if you ask me."

"What do you mean?" Skinner asked.

"They seemed to have known each other for a while," the American answered. "He was calling her Kitty and Kit. She called him James. Their behaviour was too intimate for business associates."

Mina turned to Skinner's floating jacket. "Mr. Skinner," she said. "Where do Kathryn's loyalties lie? With us or Moriarty?"

"Honestly," he said, sighing. "I have no idea."


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

_Kathryn…_

She and James arrived in Kenya without any problems. Immediately, Kathryn set out to find Allan Quartermain. That was her first priority. She had little to no time until the League would show up, demanding the antidotes she half-way promised them, and the Elixir documents.

After a while of intense searching, she found Quartermain in a small clubhouse, still alive, and still ornery. "Mr. Quartermain," she said exasperatedly. "Why won't you just _tell_ me how it is you're still alive?"

"Why won't you tell me why you have Moriarty?" he counted, his enthralling accent capturing her. "And how is he alive?"

"Professor Moriarty ingested, some years ago, a solution known as the Elixir of Life," she explained in an undertone. "No matter how many times you try to kill him, he'll come back. Always. He's my transportation. He has no intention on trying to kill you… Again."

Quartermain leaned back in his chair. "How can I trust you?" he asked. "I've heard of you. You've given Sherlock Holmes quite a challenge, haven't you?"

"I admit that I may have been difficult for him to handle," she said lightly. "But, honestly, Mr. Quartermain, this is for the sake of science. I need to know exactly what makes you immortal."

"I can't tell you," he said, filling his glass with whiskey. "Whiskey?"

"Yes, please," she said. He filled her a glass and handed it to her. "But _why_ can't you tell me?" She sipped the whiskey. It was good. Better than the stuff her cousin was always sending her from Arizona.

"Because I don't know," he said. "A witch doctor simply blessed me. He said that Africa would never allow me to die. So, when I die, it feels as though I've only taken an extremely long nap. Then I wake up and I'm alive again. I've died more times than I would care to count."

"So all it is is a spell?" she asked. "A simple immortality spell. Cast by an African Witch Doctor. Gods, this was a waste of time." She leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"Now, tell me, Miss Bennet," Quartermain said. "What are you _really_ doing here?"

She looked at him with a raise eyebrow. "I feel slightly guilty about what I did to someone we both know," she said quietly.

"Jekyll," Quartermain guessed.

"No," she answered. "Not Jekyll. I've never felt guilty about what I did to him. I was desperate." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I have a debt to repay to Sawyer. This was the only way I could think of to repay it. To reunite him with you." Quartermain gave her a look. "He talks in his sleep, Mr. Quartermain. He would never admit it, but he misses you. You were a father to him."

"So you're luring him here," Quartermain said. "Interesting." He laughed. "You're better than I thought you would be."

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, almost chocking on her whiskey.

"You would sink to any level to get what you need, wouldn't you?" he asked her.

She considered the question for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I would," she answered. Then she realised what he was talking about. "Now, listen to me, Mr. Quartermain, I wouldn't do that to him. Wait…" She thought about it again. She already had. "Damn it…" she muttered. "I need to rethink my strategy again."

"I suppose you would," he agreed. He glanced over Kathryn's shoulder out the window. "They're here…" He stood and disappeared into a back room and didn't come back.

Kathryn looked out the window. The League was walking towards the clubhouse. "James," she said. "They're here. Disappear!" She didn't see to where James disappeared. The League walked into the building and saw her. She assumed a natural position as they walked over.

"Miss Kathryn," Jekyll said, as he took a seat nearby. "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine, thank you for asking," she replied. She slid a package across the table to him. He picked it up. "The Elixir documents. And two antidotes."

"To the Elixir?" Nemo asked.

She shook her head. "No," she said. "I haven't yet found that. One antidote is what will need to be injected into Sir Lucas' bloodstream once he has taken the Elixir antidote. Otherwise, the stress the Wolfsbane put on his body will kill him almost immediately."

Mrs. Harker sat next to Jekyll. "And the other?" she asked.

"That's for Skinner," Kathryn replied. "If he wants it…"


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

_Skinner…_

He couldn't believe it. There she was. Kathryn. Sitting in a clubhouse in the middle of Africa, drinking a whiskery, from the look of it, and chatting with Jekyll and Mina.

"You're coming with us," Nemo said, pulling her out of her chair by the arm.

"Am I?" she asked. "I hadn't noticed." Yep, it was Kathryn.

Skinner hugged her tightly, whispering, "I'm so glad you're alive, Kate. I missed you." She didn't answer him. "Are you all right?"

"I haven't decided," she answered, idly.

"Decided what?"

"If I'm mad at you or not," she replied shortly. "Oh, Sawyer. Mr. Quartermain is through that door."

He gave her a look. And if looks could kill, she'd be dead where she stood. "We need to talk," he said lowly.

"Later perhaps," she said. "Go talk to him, Sawyer. That's why you're all here."

"What?"

"Hm, brilliant today, are we?" she asked, sarcasm riddling her voice. "I lured you all here just so you could talk to Mr. Quartermain. Now, go. I'll make your excuses to the League." She pushed Sawyer toward a door. Then she resumed walking. "Y'know, Skinner, I've been wondering these past months. Why _did_ you shoot me?"

Skinner couldn't find an answer for a moment. "Um…" he said slowly. "Well, it's complicated, really…"

"Complicated?" she repeated. "How complicated can it possibly be? You had a gun in your hand, and in cold-blood, from the way you were talking, put a bullet in my chest."

"My god…" he muttered. "Are you all right?"

She didn't answer. He repeated his question. "No man has given me a scar quite like you did," she said finally. "Yours is more than merely physical." She picked up her pace and walked ahead of him.

He stared after her. The scar he gave her was more than merely physical… He wondered what she meant. He ran to catch up with her. "Kate, listen to me," he said.

"There's nothing to discus right now, Mr. Skinner," she said firmly. "Now, kindly leave me be."

After dinner, Skinner sat musing in his quarters. He didn't do it very often, but he figured he had a lot to think about. Just as he was pondering how to apologise to Kathryn about everything, there was a knock at his door. Wondering who it could be, he stood and answered the door. Kathryn was standing on the other side of the door in the corridor. "Skinner, can we talk?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, come on in," he said, opening the door wider for her. She entered his room and sat at the desk as he closed the door. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Everything," she said.

He chuckled. "Well, that narrows things down a bit," he said, crossing the room to her. "Where do you wanna start?"

"Why were you mad at me?" she asked. She looked like a schoolgirl asking one of the boys why he was throwing rocks at her. "What did I do? Because it must have been something I did that made you mad. You wouldn't just get mad… Would you?"

"Kate," he said softly, seeing the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. He wiped them away. "Listen, I was being stupid. I thought I saw something that I didn't see. I should've asked you about it, but I didn't. I let it take me over and… I lost focus of what was really important."

"What did you think you saw that you didn't really see?" she asked, pulling her handkerchief out of her bodice and dabbing at her eyes.

He hesitated. "I thought I saw you kiss Holmes," he said. She didn't move; she didn't speak. "But what I actually saw was Holmes kiss you. It took me too long to figure that out." He took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet. He led her to the bed and sat her down, his arm around her. "Lordy, Kate, don't cry."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just… I'm losing focus, too. And I've done things and hurt people that I didn't want to do or hurt." She wiped her eyes, discarding her handkerchief on the floor. "I led someone to believe something that I shouldn't have. Now, he's mad."

"Sawyer?"

She nodded. "Yes, Sawyer," she said softly. "Then I allowed someone else back into my life. I should've kept him at a great distance. But I didn't. And now that I've done that, I may have put you in danger."

"What are you talking about?" Skinner asked. He understood what she was talking about before. But now… Now, she was speaking in riddles.

"Professor James Moriarty," she said, tears falling from her eyes onto his arm. "Fourteen years ago, before I met you, before I met Mr. Holmes, and before I became what I am, we were engaged to be married. I—I loved him, Rodney. But then, he… He was poisoned—or so it seemed—and he disappeared. Seeing him again… I couldn't prepare myself for something like that. I couldn't put myself on my guard…"

"I understand," Skinner said softly. He held her for a moment. Then he asked, "Did you sleep with him?"

She hesitated. "Possibly," she said slowly.

"Recently?"

"Yes."

"I thought so." They sat there in silence for a few minutes until Kathryn laid back onto the bed and sighed. "What?"


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

_Kathryn…_

"This is the moment that the gods expect me to beg for help," she said softly, half to herself, half to Skinner. "But I won't even try. I want nothing in the world but myself to protect me… I won't lie down, roll over and die…"

"Kate, what're you talking about?" he asked her, laying beside her. She could feel the slight pressure of him against her. He was on his side, she could tell, looking down at her.

_All I have to do is forget how much I love him…_

"Are you all right?"

_All I have to do is put my longing to one side…_

"Kate, answer me."

_Tell myself that love's an ever-changing situation…_

"Stop this, Kate," he said, his hand on her cheek. "What's wrong?"

_Passion would have cooled, and all the magic would have died…_

"It's easy…" she whispered.

"What's easy?" he asked. "Kate, answer me."

She stood and walked out of the room. Without stopping, she went to her quarters and locked the door behind her. "It's easy…"

_All I have to do is pretend I never knew him on those very rare occasions when he steals into my heart…_

She sat at the vanity and looked at her reflection.

_Better to have lost him when the ties were barely binding…_

Her reflection seemed to laugh at her.

_Better the contempt of the familiar cannot start…_

"It's easy," she said to the mirror. "It's easy."

"What's easy?" her reflection asked her. "Keeping yourself from loving him? Are you mad, girl? That's impossible."

She shook her head, clearing her reflection of free will. "No, it's easy," she muttered, rubbing her temples. She stood and went behind the dressing screen. She changed out of her dress and into her nightdress. When she came out from behind the dressing screen, she could almost see Skinner waiting for her on the bed. His emerald green eyes, bright ginger hair, the charming smirk…

She cleared her head again and he was gone. She laid down and stared at the ceiling. "Is this how the gods reward the faithful through the ages?" she whispered into the flickering darkness. "Forcing us to prove that the hardest things we've done are easy… so easy…"

She turned onto her side and saw him again. He was sitting in her chair, smirking at her. She closed her eyes, but he was still there. "And though I'll think about him till the earth draws in around me," she whispered into the void of her quarters. "And though I choose to leave him for another kind of love… This is no denial, no betrayal, but redemption… Redeemed in my own eyes and in the pantheon above… It's easy…"

She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling again. And no matter how many times she tried, she couldn't get the images of Rodney Skinner to leave her mind. It was driving her mad. Then she remembered what her mother used to sing every night before she went to sleep:

_There is a time, there is a place_

_When love should conquer all._

_The rest of life is pushed aside_

_As truth and reason fall._

_But only if that selfishness_

_Can lead to something good…_

_I thought I knew you, Kathryn,_

_But I never understood._

_I don't know you…_

Kathryn tried to make sense of everything that was swirling about in her head. Nothing seemed to come into complete focus. Giving up, she got out of bed, threw on her dressing gown and walked to the door. As she unlocked it, someone knocked. She opened the door, but no one was there.

"Kathryn." It was Skinner. "I came to see if you were all right. You were worrying me."

She sighed and smiled. "I was about to go find you," she admitted. "Come in." She backed away from the door and let him close it so she would know when he was in the room fully.


	30. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty:

_Skinner…_

She held out her hand. "Where are you?" He took her hand in his. She reached out to him.

Her soft hand found his shoulder. Her hand he held travelled out of his grip and up his arm to his shoulder. They stood facing each other, with both her hands on his shoulders. Then, one hand travelled up his neck to his cheek. Like a blind woman, she lightly traced her fingers across his face, feeling carefully, almost documenting his features.

Then she stepped toward him. He didn't move. The fabric of her dressing gown lightly brushed against his chest as she stopped close to him. "I wish I could see you," she whispered. "I miss you…"

Skinner slipped his arms around her waist. "I know," he whispered, looking into her eyes. They were still a little red from crying, but still enchanting. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "It's like your gone," she whispered sadly. "It feels like I've lost you because I can't see you."

"That antidote you made for me," he began. She placed a finger on his mouth, silencing him.

"Later," she murmured. Then she kissed him. Her arms slipped around his shoulders, pulling him to her.

This was unlike anything Skinner had ever experienced. Sure, he's kissed her before, but not like this. Every touch of her lips on his sent bolts of nervous energy through every nerve in his body. He felt as he did when he gave a girl his first kiss ever. Young, foolhardy, passionate. In love. She had this effect on him. Everything seemed so perfect. The taste of her kiss, the way they melded into each other, everything was _perfect_. He wanted it to last forever.

She gently pulled away from him. "Oh, gods," she said softly, backing away from him and realising what she had done. "I'm sorry, Skinner. I didn't mean…" She sat on the edge of her bed.

He walked over to her. "Tell me about the antidote you've concocted for me," he said softly, running his finger up her exposed arm. Her dressing gown was slipping from her shoulders.

"At first," she said, standing and pulling her dressing gown off. She seemed frustrated with it as she threw it across the room. "I thought it would be versatile to be invisible. Then, I thought that it wouldn't be quite so happy if you couldn't become visible again. So…" She sat down again.

"So you developed an antidote to make me visible again," he finished for her.

She nodded. "Yes," she said. "But only if you wanted it. I don't even know if it works or not." She fell backwards and laid on the bed.

"Why did you do that for me?" he asked. "I shot you."

"Oh, honestly," she said. "I forgave you the moment you did it."

"But, you said—"

"I know what I said," she interrupted. "I was pulling your leg." She sighed. "I guess I did it in an act of pure and simple selfishness. I wanted to be able to see you again… So, you see, my flaws have no boundaries."

Skinner leaned on his side beside her, looking down at her. In the flickering light, she was positively enticing. The shadows in her hair, across her face, across her body. He had never seen a woman more beautiful. He lightly ran his fingers up her front from her navel to her throat. He felt her shiver under his touch. "I see no flaws," he murmured. "Only perfection…"

"I think you need to get your vision checked..."


	31. Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty-One:

_Nemo…_

He looked at her across the table. She waited for him to speak with a cold, hard look in her eyes. Almost as though she was trying to decide the best way to dispose of him. "Miss Kathryn," he began. She remained as she was. "It has come to my attention that you may not be completely honest with us. Therefore, I am giving you the opportunity now to be honest with me. Tell me exactly what happened the night you were shot."

She didn't answer immediately. She sighed and leaned on the table. "Captain," she said in a low voice. "I've already told you everything that happened. You can check my information against Dr. Jekyll."

"I have. And it proved to be accurate," he said. "But you didn't tell us who shot you."

Kathryn's eyes became colder and harder. "I don't believe I'm comfortable telling you that information," she said calmly. Her tone was even, but a bitter chill descended on her shoulders.

"Why is that?" Nemo asked her, noting she was distancing herself. "Why would you protect him?"

"How do you know it was man who shot me?" she countered, standing. "For all you know, it could've been Lady Lucas!"

"I only assumed," the captain said, trying to calm her. "Skinner informed us you were shot, but he said he did not see your attacker clearly."

An odd look crossed her features, but left just as quickly as it appeared. "Well, I have no idea why Skinner was there," she said. "And I have no idea why you need to know who shot me. It seems utterly irrelevant to me. I was able to eventually complete the assignment and retrieved the documents for you. Why is it so important to know my attacker?"

"Only so we have a clear understanding of who it is we are fighting," he answered. "Are you certain you will not tell me his name?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "I see," he muttered. "Continuing on, then. Mr. Sawyer informed us that you were found in the company of Professor Moriarty. Tell me why."

"Is this an interrogation?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"A debriefing."

"It's the same thing, Captain," she said. "My acquaintance with Professor Moriarty started sixteen years ago. He and I have been close friends since then."

"To the point of marriage?" Nemo knew he may be pushing the limits of how much she would allow him to question her, but he needed to find where she kept her loyalties.

"Possibly." She sat down again and leaned back in her chair. "Why do you ask?"

He cleared his throat. "Simply curious," he replied. "Why was Moriarty in your home that particular morning?"

"He was looking for the documents on the Elixir of Life," she said simply.

"Did he say why?"

She paused briefly then answered. "He has been taking the Elixir for the past few years," she said. "That is how he was able to survive poisoning, falling into a violent waterfall, and being shot in the back by Sawyer. The Elixir does more than merely sustaining life. It returns life to a lifeless form. He needed the documents because he needs to make a new dose of the Elixir before the end of the year or he will die."

"Interesting," Nemo said, watching her closely. She had grown colder while telling him about Moriarty, if that was even possible. "Were you going to give it to him?"

"No," she said. "I was going to give hi m the formula for a particularly lethal poison that included not only Deadly Nightshade, but Mercury as well. You're as good as dead when the solution simply touches your lips."

"You would kill your—friend if only to keep him from the Elixir?" he asked, surprised. He knew she was cold-hearted. But he hadn't thought she was _that_ cold-hearted.

"Yes."

"Why?"

She looked almost ready to kill. "It's because of him that I am what I am," she said, bitterness reigning supreme in her voice. "It's because of him that I am a cold-blooded murderess. Do you think I had a _choice_ when it came to my future? He filled me with the thirst for revenge that became an addicting habit. The least I could do for humanity is destroy the man who created me."

"How long have you felt this way?" he asked her.

"Since the beginning of the end," she said. "I doubt if I can ever fully love again because of this man. So I will suffer the rest of my life because of him. My name can never be cleared because of him. I can never be actually happy because of _him_. It sickens me to think that he once loved me."

Nemo was interested in her choice of words. "What do you mean, 'the beginning of the end'?" he asked her.

"When I realised I could never stop killing," she said. "It was several years ago. I try to rationalise it. I try to excuse it as homicide for the sake of science. But I know the truth. I can't stop. It's a sickening addiction, Nemo. And I can't end this. So, I realised it was the beginning of the end of my life. My life will end when I can finally stop killing. I take sick pleasure in it."

"Should I take precautions for the safety and sake of my crew and the League?"

She shook her head. "Gods, I hope not," she said. "But, if ever you find that I've done something questionable, you have my permission to lock me away until I've got it out of my system."

"Do I have you word?" he asked.

She looked at him, seeming to consider all her options. "Yes," she said. "You do."

He nodded. "One last question before I release you," he said. "There has been speculation throughout the League on this issue, and I need to know to reassure them. Where exactly do your loyalties lie?"

"My loyalties?" she repeated. He nodded again. "I am loyal to myself, the League, and the British Crown. Honest to the gods."

"Very well. You're dismissed. Thank you for your time."


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty-Two:

_Quartermain…_

He watched her walk out of the conference room. Her manner was cold and off-putting. But he approached her anyway. "Miss Bennet, may I speak with you?" he asked her.

She regarded him with indifference, but said, "What do you want?"

"Why did you pull me into this again?" he asked her. "Why did you pull me back into the League? Why are you subjecting me to this all over again?"

She sighed and tugged on sleeve of her black greatcoat. "Well," she said. "You're needed here more than in Kenya. The League needs its true leader returned to them if he is alive."

"Don't beat about the bush, Miss Bennet," he said. "Tell me the truth. What am I really doing here?"

She kept tugging on her sleeve. "I need your help," she said after a brief pause. "I need you to help me kill Moriarty once and for all."

He was surprised. He was inclined to believe she was a bit enamoured with the criminal. "Why is that?" he asked, curiosity building in him.

She finally met his gaze. "Because I can't do it by myself," she admitted. "It isn't because I once loved him or anything. It's because he's too much a genius for me to take on my own. I can create the antidote to the Elixir and give it to him, but killing him after that… I can't do alone. So I need your help doing that."

Then a question suddenly came to his mind. "Miss Bennet," he said, "have you ever had any friends?"

"Just one," she replied, readjusting her greatcoat. "I haven't seen him in years. Good evening." She walked quickly away.


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty-Three:

_Mina…_

Soon after Kathryn returned to the _Nautilus_, Mina sought her out. Finding her in her quarters, the Vampiress knocked on the door and stepped through the open doorway. "Kathryn," she said. "May I speak with you?"

Kathryn had been working at her desk, writing furiously and sifting vials around. She looked over her shoulder. "Yes," she replied. "Come in, Mina."

Mina closed the door and sat at the vanity. "First," she began. "I want to know what mind games you're playing with Mr. Skinner. He's been rather out of sorts since you and Dr. Jekyll were separated at Sir Lucas'. What's going on?"

Kathryn sighed and laid down her pen. Turning to face Mina better, she said, "Honestly, it's more a mind game with me than with him. I've been so confused, that it may seem I'm trying to put him out of his mind, but honestly, I'm not. I needed to decide something for myself and that took a while."

"Have you decided?"

"Yes," Kathryn nodded. "I've decided. That I'm not mad at him anymore for what he did. And that I love him no matter what happened."

"What did he do?" Mina asked, her interest piqued.

"I can't tell you that."

The Vampiress nodded. "All right then," she said. Then she paused to gather her thoughts. "Dr. Jekyll and I have been working for the past months, looking for the antidote to the Elixir and we have found nothing. Do you have any ideas?"

"Answer me one question first." Mina nodded. "What is your relationship with Dr. Jekyll?" Kathryn asked, brushing stray wisps of hair from her face.

Mina hesitated in her answer. "We are simply friends," she said slowly. "But I wish we were closer."

"Then tell him that!" Kathryn said smiling. "By the way, it seems both of you are having a secret love affair through your researching. Fix that. Make it literal." She dropped her girlish manner and grew serious. "Now then, onto the Elixir. I've been looking at the formula Professor Moriarty wrote to create the Elixir. —Sir Lucas stole them from him fourteen years ago.— And though I haven't been successful in creating an Elixir, I have been able to come up with some ideas. I trust you still have the vial of it?" Mina handed her the vial of the purple liquid. "Good. Thank you. I thought that perhaps the key to finding the antidote to it is to try to introduce the ingredients' polar opposites to the Elixir in hopes to create a solution that completely counterbalances the Elixir's potency and makes it completely useless."

"Wouldn't that only work if the Elixir was ingested within the last forty-eight hours, though?" Mina asked, intrigued.

"That's what I thought, too," Kathryn agreed. "But, if we create a solution that contains not only the Elixir but the antidote as well, I believe it may have the desired effect and it may also counteract any does of the Elixir taken years ago. I haven't been able to create an Elixir, as I said, so I haven't been able to test the theory."

Mina wanted to clear a matter. "Is it true that the Elixir sustains Life, and returns it to the drinker?" she asked. Kathryn nodded. "So, if we somehow create an antidote to it, and it counteracted any previously ingested does, would that mean we could kill someone and they would remain dead? Say, Professor Moriarty, perhaps?"

"Theoretically," Kathryn answered. "So what we need to do is find that perfect solution and we could rid the world of Professor James Moriarty and any other scum that managed to drink the Elixir."

"Do you have a copy of the formula that Dr. Jekyll and I could use for our part of the research?" Mina asked, standing. Kathryn shuffled through the papers on her desk and handed three pages covered with ink to Mina. "Thank you. Good luck in your search." Mina walked to the door.

"You too, Mina," Kathryn said, returning to work as Mina left the room.


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty-Four:

_Skinner…_

Kathryn had locked herself in her room and hadn't come out in close to four days. As far as Skinner knew, she hadn't slept in that time. So, one evening, he put his ear against her door and listened intently. Silence animated loudly from within, so he opened the door. He found Kathryn at her desk, completely asleep, using her notes as a pillow.

Smiling, he carefully picked her up and gently laid her down on her bed. She turned over to her side and smiled in her dreaming. Deciding she would sleep for at least a few hours, he quietly left the room. He returned to his quarters to relax.

An hour after checking on Kathryn, a massive explosion took place in her room, shaking the entirety of the _Nautilus_. Dropping what he was doing, Skinner sprinted to her room. She had just spilled from it, coughing, in a cloud of black smoke. She ran into him. "Oh, Skinner, I'm sorry," she said, still violently coughing. "I obviously didn't see you."

"No, I understand," he said, looking around. The rest of the League was running to see what had happened. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she nodded.

Nemo looked around the corridor in shock. "What happened?" he demanded. "And I expect the truth, Miss Kathryn!"

She coughed again and said, "Miscalculation. I added far too much2,3-tri-methyl-pentane than was necessary. And, well, you can see what happened."

"Is there a leak?"

"No, not at all," she said, shaking her head. "It's just smoke. I suggest we surface so we can air out the _Nautilus_. And my room." Nemo nodded and left for the helm. Sawyer and Quartermain left without a word. Skinner saw Mina and Kathryn catch each other's eye and smile. Kathryn sighed. "Well, I guess that's that until I can return to my room."

Skinner whispered into Kathryn's ear as he watched Mina and Jekyll leave. She nodded and the two walked down the corridor. When they reached his quarters, Skinner opened the door for her, then entered after her. "Kathryn," he said. "If you need to, you can use the bed. You look exhausted."

She nodded. "Yes, it's true," she sighed. "I haven't slept a full night since I began my work on the Elixir. When I woke up and found myself in bed, I rose up immediately and continued to work."

"Are you so bent on finding the antidote that you would kill yourself in the search?"

She thought for a moment. "Yes," she said firmly. "If it means that certain men in the world have to die, then my sacrifice will be well worth it. I assure you of that."

"You are completely insane," he said as she crossed to the bed and laid down. She patted the space next to her. He laid down next to her on his side and lightly traced designs on her stomach.

"I was surprised that you haven't taken the antidote, Skinner," she said quietly, seemingly drifting in and out of the dream world. "I had thought that you would do anything to become visible again…"

He sighed. "I thought about it," he said. "But, then I realised the benefits of remaining invisible." Leaned over to her and sucked gently on her exposed neck. Since her return to the League, Kathryn had left the strict women's fashions behind so she could more comfortably work.

"Such as?"

He chuckled. "I could simply tell you to relax," he said, moving up her neck to her ear. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "And I could just play."

"Oh, you're horrible," she giggled. But she didn't move to stop him.

After a bit, Skinner said, "I was surprised you joined the League at all. You never seemed to be a team player."

She sighed. "I mean to undo the flaws of my character," she said lowly. "I will face my demon… And I will destroy him…"


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty-Five:

_Jekyll…_

Jekyll had been working closely with Mrs. Harker for the past months and he found more than he searched for. He found that his attraction to her had been fuelled by this close association. He found he had difficulty keeping his mind on his work with her there. But he needed to focus. And the only way to do that would be to tell her.

The day she had gone to Kathryn to speak on the matter of their studies, he decided he would tell her. When she returned, carrying three pages of Kathryn's neat handwriting, he said, "I need to tell you something."

She looked up from the page she was reading. "And I have something to confess to you," she said. "But you first."

"No," he answered. "By all means. Ladies first."

She bit her lower lip. "Well, how many words can you say it in?" she asked.

"Three."

Her eyes lit up. "I can, too," she said. "This may sound childish, but let's say what we have to say together."

Jekyll nodded. Then they both a breath and said, "I love you."

She blushed and looked at her feet. "You do?" she asked softly.

She reminded Jekyll strongly of a young lady being told she was beautiful for the first time. He stood and walked over to her. "I have since we first met," he replied.

"As I have," she said. "It just took me a while to realise it." She looked up into his eyes and kissed him.


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty-Six:

_Sawyer…_

Sawyer had been spending a lot of time recently with Allan Quartermain. The Great White Hunter, as he was often called, was his mentor on the first mission for the League, and when he had died, Sawyer was on the windy side of devastated. So, now that he'd returned, the young American didn't want to be out of his company. A few days after Kathryn had blown up her desk, he and Quartermain were on the deck, discussing her.

"I don't understand why you're so hurt, Sawyer," Quartermain said lightly, polishing his hunting rifle. "She wasn't acting out of character."

"She lied to me!"

"She lies to everybody," he said matter-of-factly. "What makes you so special?"

Sawyer couldn't think of an appropriate response. So he said, "I don't know." He was feeling really hurt by how she had treated him in London. She made him believe that she cared for him. But, back on the _Nautilus_, he realised she was only trying to get him to think that so she could return to the League.

But he hadn't known how physically scarred she was until that night. She hadn't been completely honest with them when she explained what she did for her occupation. She appeared to have gotten into more physical conflicts than she gave herself credit for. Sawyer somehow made the connection that her physical scars affected her in such a way that she would never trust another human being in the remainder of her life. Her physical scars penetrated so deeply as to affect her soul and made her as cold and hard-hearted as she was.

"Have you noticed she has a faint white line across her throat?" he asked Quartermain. The hunter didn't look up, but he shook his head. "It looks like she had gotten into a fight with an assailant with a blade. It starts at the bottom of her left jaw and traces cleanly across to her right collarbone. That could've killed her if it was deep enough."

"Pity it didn't," Quartermain muttered. "She's not my favourite person in the entire world."

Sawyer sighed. "I know that," he said. "But, I've been thinking. Maybe we should all learn to trust each other again. Maybe we should turn over a new leaf… Or something."

Quartermain looked at Sawyer. "Perhaps," he replied. "But I doubt it will work."


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven:

_Nemo…_

Captain Nemo was sitting in the conference room, contemplating the best of all possible ways of aiding Kathryn in her charge of disposing of Moriarty. The task seemed impossible. The man had been killed more times that anyone could count, and yet, still he lived. There must be some way to kill him and make the result permanent. Nemo had thought that if by some miracle or persuasion, she could get him to drink the antidote to the Elixir of Life, they would have to catch him off his guard and do it. But the man was a genius. He could know when they would try to do it.

One of the crewmen ran into the room, holding out a letter. "For you, Captain," he said before leaving quickly.

Nemo looked down at the sealed piece of paper. It was addressed to him in Kathryn's neat and flowing script. He broke the seal and unfolded it. He quickly read over the contents. At first glance, the words formed nothing but an excerpt from a book:

_She silently watched him enter the castle gardens from her position under the large oak tree in the heart of the grounds. He looked for her among the many trees and flowers and bushes. When he found her, she was ready. She knew what she had to do; what she would do. She sighed and said, "Good, you came when I called."_

"_And depart only when you bid me," he replied sullenly. His mannerisms had changed drastically since returning from the wars. He never smiled. He never changed his expression from utter boredom._

_She nodded. "Excellent," she whispered. Then she held out a vial. The crystal bottle was filled halfway with a brilliantly bright purple liquid. It shimmered in the moonlight as she held it before him. "The potion, as you asked."_

_He took it from her and examined it. Finding nothing out of place, he took the cork from the vial's neck. "Thank you," he said before drinking the potion. "You have been an extraordinarily valuable assistance to me." He returned the vial. She silently tucked it into her purse at her waist. "How can I repay you?"_

_Without a word, nor any indication of what she would do, she suddenly had a long knife in her hand. Then the blade was in his heart. "You can die a thousand deaths," she muttered bitterly. "A thousand deaths. One for each life you've taken from this Kingdom. You've been nothing but a plague to our King and you will be disposed of in a matter of mere minutes." She took her knife from his chest and cleaned the blade on his black tunic._

_As she walked away, leaving him to die, a single tear fell from her eye. It was a tear shed for a love that was acrimoniously deceived and destroyed…_

Nemo looked at the words on the paper carefully. Kathryn knew he didn't enjoy fantasy. She must have had a purpose in sending him the excerpt. Then he had a thought. Substituting the word 'she' with Kathryn's name and the word 'he' with Moriarty, he discovered what her purpose was. This was her signal that she had found the perfect antidote to the Elixir and wished to make contact with Moriarty to set a meeting time so she could give it to him.

The captain sighed in slight satisfaction. The task was almost complete. Then neither he nor the League would have to worry about Professor J. Moriarty or his evils again.


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

_Skinner…_

Skinner found Kathryn asleep at her desk again. He quietly walked to her and as he lifted her into his arms to take her to the bed, she spoke in her sleep. She whispered, "It's done… Now… we must kill him…"

Slightly confused by her words, he gently set her on the bed. When he pulled a blanket across her, she woke suddenly, gasping. "Kate," he said gently. "It's all right. It's me."

She relaxed greatly. "Sorry," she muttered. "I suppose that my nerves are a bit strained from working for weeks on end."

"I understand," he replied. "You were talking in your sleep."

"Was I?" she asked, seemingly horrified. "What was I saying?"

" 'It's done. Now, we must kill him,' " he said. "Care to explain?"

She sighed. "The antidote is complete," she answered. "Now, we only need to have Moriarty drink it and we can kill him."

Skinner brushed her hair from her face. "Are you _sure_ you can do that?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said firmly. "He sent me through Hell… It's time he sees what it's like."


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine:

_Kathryn…_

Kathryn sent Moriarty a wire requesting his presence in Venice. She was going to meet him there, give him the fake Elixir and kill him over dinner. She had the vial of the antidote tucked safely away in her handbag.

She waited at the chosen restaurant. She knew Skinner was nearby, shadowing her, making sure she would be safe. And though she knew she had a guard from the League with her, she wasn't completely comfortable with her task. Nemo instructed that she needed to kill Moriarty in a public place so it wouldn't appear to her victim that she was going to do it. But that meant she had to put larger amounts of Deadly Nightshade than she would usually do into his wine.

As she waited for Moriarty to arrive, Kathryn quickly and mentally reviewed everything that needed to be done, everything she needed and everything she needed to do. After she had been waiting over an hour, and just as she was about to leave, a waiter came to her table with a telegram in his hand. "For you, Signora," he said.

"Grazie," she said, taking the telegram from him, smiling. He said a quick 'Prego' and went on his way. She opened the envelope and pulled out the message. It was from Moriarty. It read:

_Can't make Venice STOP. Come to Mongolia STOP. Follow coordinates STOP._

Following the message read the coordinates for the location at which she would have to meet him. She sighed, left some money on the table to pay for the bread and wine she had ordered, but not consumed and left, hearing Skinner follow her.

"What's wrong?" he asked in an undertone as they made their way through Venice's busy streets. "Why are we leaving?"

"I'll show you later," she muttered, as they almost had to shove their way through a crowd. On the _Nautilus_, Kathryn held out the telegram from Moriarty.

Jekyll was the first to take it from her and read it. He looked very surprised as he passed it onto Skinner. As Nemo read the telegram through Skinner, Jekyll said, "That's where his last base of operations was located. We had to blow that entire building to bits."

Sawyer looked a little pale. "I don't wanna go there," he said quickly. Quartermain nodded.

"You won't," Kathryn said. "I will. And I will take care of Moriarty myself."

"No," Nemo said, handing the telegram back to Kathryn. "You will not go unaccompanied. Mr. Quartermain will go with you. Once Moriarty has taken the antidote, you will give a signal and Mr. Quartermain will dispose of him. When the task is complete, you will regroup, then return to the _Nautilus_. Should anything go wrong, pray that it will not, return to the League as soon as possible. If someone is left behind, there is nothing we can do. Is that understood?"

Kathryn and Quartermain nodded silently.


	40. Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty:

_Skinner…_

"I know you're very confident that this will all work out just as planned," he said, helping Kathryn into her black greatcoat. The girl was insane. She refused to wear a snow parka. "But, I can't help but feel that something will go horribly wrong and you won't come back to me or the League."

Kathryn smiled faintly. "Rodney," she whispered. "I will return. Perhaps not as soon as we both would wish, but I will eventually return. I promise." She let him kiss her, then she left with Quartermain.

Not one to sit around while others go out and risk their lives, especially when it's the woman he loves so passionately, Skinner ran after the hunter and the murderess. Hr followed Quartermain up to a ledge slightly higher than the level on which Kathryn walked. She was met by Moriarty at the mouth of a cave that looked like it was made entirely of ice. She followed Moriarty into the cave and Quartermain laid down on his stomach, his rifle view at his eyes, preparing for her to give the signal. "Skinner," he said, adjusting the rifle, "I know you're there. I want you to keep a sharp watch for any of Moriarty's men. And when I tell you to, I want you to run down to that cave and help Kathryn get out of there."

"Yes, sir," Skinner said.


	41. Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty-One:

_Kathryn…_

She watched silently as Moriarty quickly drank the antidote. She was grateful that he trusted her so completely still to not question her actions. He never gave her the impression that he thought she was deceiving him. A bitter breeze blew through the frozen cave and she pulled her greatcoat tighter around her.

Moriarty gave her a look of slight accusation. "What are you waiting for, Kit?" he asked her. "Are you waiting for me to die?"

She shook her head. "Not at all," she replied, hearing a rifle ready to fire in the distance. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if she really heard it. "I'm simply waiting for you to realise you've just taken the antidote to the Elixir."

He stared at her for a moment. Then he threw his head back and laughed. "You foolish girl," he said. "There is no antidote to the Elixir. It can only run its course."

"You misunderstand me," she said. "You've always misunderstood me. You underestimated my abilities. You always have. Did you think that I wouldn't be able to find it?" She laughed at him in her turn. "What did you think I was doing the past few months? You know I constantly thirst for knowledge!"

He was shocked; it was on his face. "No… It cannot be," he said. "You would not do that to me!" He crossed to her and cupped her head in his hands. "You wouldn't… Would you?"

She pulled away from him. "My love for you died when you betrayed me," she said bitterly.

"I never…"

"You created what I am," she said. "It's because of you that I will never be accepted in the higher society to which my father belonged…" A tear rolled freely down her cheek. "That betrayal will be avenged and the world will be liberated from your evil."

"Your 'holier than thou' act will get you nowhere," he said, mocking her. "You can't buy your way into Heaven by killing me, Kit. No one like you will ever be forgiven of so many crimes to be allowed into God's Heaven. So, stop trying to sound noble."

She scoffed. "Whoever said I wanted to go to Heaven?" she asked. "I forfeited that right years before I met you. Now, I just want to redeem myself in the eyes of the people I will be leaving behind when I do eventually die. To save my family's name." She raised her hands above her head and stretched, yawning. "So, good-bye, Professor James Moriarty." She turned her back to him and heard the gunshot. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him and gagged. His skull had been shattered and his face was distorted hideously.

"Kathryn!" a cry echoed in the cave as a deep, but quiet rumbling sounded. "Kathryn, hurry! Before the cave mouth freezes over!"

It was Skinner, she was sure of it. The rumbling grew louder and Kathryn ran as fast as she could to the entrance of the cave. But, no matter how fast she ran, she wasn't fast enough. She reached the mouth of the cave just as the thick wall of ice sealed itself. She could see a shape on the other side of it. It was blurry, but she was certain that it was Skinner. She put her hand up flat against the ice. His met hers on the opposite side. "Farewell, my love," she whispered, stepping backwards, away from the ice.


	42. Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty-Two:

_The League…_

Skinner and Quartermain returned to the _Nautilus_ without Kathryn. She had been trapped behind a thick wall of ice and there was no possible way for them to carve away the ice to get her out. Whenever a chip of the ice fell away, the hole filled itself immediately. So, a heart-broken invisible man followed the Great White Hunter dejectedly back to the League.

Nemo had had news of a new mission for the League. They were to take on a villain Mina was familiar with: Count Dracula. They would be leaving to send someone as a scout to Transylvania shortly.

Quartermain had had it with adventuring. He returned to Kenya to finish his existence in retirement.

Mina and Jekyll were engaged to be married by the time the League had left Kenya. They would be married within the next two months. It would be a small, simple wedding. Nothing fancy. There wasn't time for that.

Sawyer volunteered to be the League's scout in Transylvania. They left him on the outskirts of Budapest, with the instructions to learn as much as possible and return to the drop off point in two and a half months.

Skinner had taken Kathryn's despatch-box once again. He was determined to open it. To see what she kept in it. To learn more about her. Though he had known her for eight years, he still knew little about her past, her hobbies—other than Chemistry and poisoning—and her attachments. He wanted to know everything. And he would discover her secrets.


	43. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Oh, gods…

_From deep within this tomb,_

_May a gentle light still shine…_

_Showing them their path_

_As it turns away from mine…_

_Make them certain in their hearts_

_That Ancient Wars must cease…_

_Make my death give birth_

_To a fight for peace…_

Rodney…

_And our story…_

_And the journey…_

_And the lesson they provide…_

_Draw their strength_

_And inspiration_

_From our Love…_

_Mine will never die…_

**The end.**


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